White Lies
by MyImmortal329
Summary: When Carol Mason's mother decides it's time to start setting her daughter up with eligible men, Carol's best friend intervenes with a little white lie to get Carol out of an awkward predicament.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead.

White Lies

Chapter 1 - Mother

"No." Carol flopped back dramatically on her full-sized bed, and she covered her face with her hands.

"No?"

"No!"

"Is it that bad? I mean, m'sure you've had worse."

"Worse than this?" Carol asked, throwing her hands off of her face and sitting up to glare at the man standing at the foot of her bed. She held up her cell phone. " _Nothing_ is worse than this."

"What about the time Michonne told you she wrecked your car. That was pretty bad news," Daryl offered, tossing Carol a granola bar.

"I'm not hungry," she protested. "I can't eat. Why are you here, anyway? Don't you have a job to be late for?" Daryl snorted at that and flopped down on the bed next to her. "Go away. I need to be mad right now. I can't be mad when you're around."

"See, I knew you loved me," Daryl teased, as Carol promptly grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the face with it. "Hey! Alright, woman. What's this bad news?"

"My mother," she groaned.

"Your…mother? You mean the sweet lady you always talk about that is more like a best friend than a mom? That mother?"

"You don't know my mother, Daryl," Carol pointed out, sitting up. Daryl shifted on the bed to sit next to her. "She's going to set me up."

"What?" Daryl asked, choking back a laugh.

"This is her new thing. Now that I'm out of college and living in the quote-unquote real world, she's decided that it's her duty as the quote-unquote cool mom to fix me up with the most eligible bachelor she can find."

"And you know this…how?"

"Because she said, and I quote, 'oh, honey, I hope you don't mind, but I've asked a friend to come along for dinner next Friday night.'" Daryl furrowed his eyes, and Carol stared at him blankly.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Because, unless she's cheating on my father, that friend's going to be a younger man. For me. Because she knows I can't stand any of her friends, because they're all gossiping harpies." Daryl snorted at that, and Carol slapped his arm. "It's not funny, Daryl! I don't need this right now."

"Alright, alright," he laughed, scooting to the edge of the bed and away from Carol's flailing arms. "Are you a hundred percent sure that's what she's gonna do?"

"Well, no," Carol pouted. "But I know my mother, Daryl."

"I can't _wait_ to meet this woman," he laughed.

"I hate you so much right now," she groaned, moving to sit next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and she sighed.

"Wanna screw around? Might make things better."

"Oh, shut up!" she laughed. "One of these days, I'm gonna say yes, and then what are you gonna do, Dixon?" She stood up, and Daryl grinned at her, watching the way the sass just flowed right through her when she put her hands on her hips.

"Hey, I'm game. You're single. I'm single. You're hot. I'm not bad to look at either, right?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Carol snorted this time, and she rolled her eyes.

"That ship sailed a _long_ time ago. You know, I'm pretty sure my mom thinks you're my gay roommate, Daryl."

"You…told her I'm not though, right?" Daryl asked, cocking an eyebrow."

"Oh…it probably came up in conversation," Carol said with an innocent batting of her eyebrows.

"She knows I ain't, right?" Daryl asked, sinking back into that Southern drawl that Carol had found so hot the first time she'd talked to him. They'd met the first day of freshman orientation, and they'd been pretty much inseparable since then. She'd come from Nebraska, he'd come from Georgia, and they were two fish out of water in Los Angeles. They'd considered taking that extra step, even had a few hot and heavy make out sessions before, but life and school had had other plans for them, and the timing had never been right. So they'd just ended up as being close friends and roommates, but they both knew that when it came right down to it, they'd be there for one another no matter what.

"Oh, come on. Mom's totally cool with the gay thing."

"So am I, but I ain't gay," Daryl pointed out.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that since I saw that girl leave your room last night. What was her name?"

"Brandi," Daryl muttered. "We didn't fuck if that's what you're gettin' at. She threw up on my bed and passed out."

"Oh," Carol muttered, scrunching up her nose. "Please tell me you did your laundry separately from mine."

"Promise," Daryl replied with a chuckle. "Look, I don't see what the big deal is. Just tell your mom you don't want to be set up. Tell her you're busy with work, and you don't need any body other than Daryl to get you through those long nights."

"Shut up!" she laughed. "Look, you don't understand. By the time my mom was my age, I was four. She doesn't get that I'm not in any hurry to jump into that kind of thing. I'm happy with the way things are. I've been single for six months, and I haven't shriveled up and died yet."

"Plus, you've got what's in here to keep you company." His hand shot toward her bedside table drawer, and she slapped it away.

"You didn't."

"You left it out one day, and the drawer was open. I just put two and two together." He wiggled his eyebrows, and Carol groaned.

"I hate you. I do." With that, her phone began to buzz, and she groaned, holding it up to read the number. "Great, she's calling. It's bad enough she has to text me about it, now I have to listen to her whine."

For a moment, Daryl's smile faded, and then a grin spread over his face, and fire flashed in his eyes.

"Oh God. What?" Before she had a chance to say or do another thing, Daryl grabbed the phone from her hand and answered the call. She was struck silent, eyes wide with shock as she listened to him talk.

"Carol's phone. Oh, hi, Mrs. Mason. It's Daryl. Yeah. Uh-huh. Friday night? Oh, sure, we'll be there. Hmm? Oh, didn't Carol tell you? Yeah. Oh yeah, for six months now." Carol's jaw dropped wider, and the more he talked, the more her head began to swim. "Oh, she's in the shower. Uh-huh. Well, I dunno, you know how Carol is about her boyfriends. She just likes to keep things to herself." Carol finally swallowed back enough shock to pick her jaw up, and she glared at him. That's when he turned away. "Yes, ma'am. We'll be there. Friday night. It'll be nice to meet you, too. Yes, ma'am. I'll tell her. Uh-huh. Bye." And then he turned and tossed her the phone. She didn't move. The phone landed at her feet, and that was when Daryl's Cheshire grin faded, and he swallowed hard, bracing himself for what was coming.

"What. Did. You. Do?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Now What?

"Oh, c'mon. Don't be mad."

"What…what were you _thinking?!_ Oh my God, Daryl, you…you are…the biggest… _jerk_ …" Her lips twitched, and her voice choked in her throat, and Daryl stepped forward, reaching for her, but she took a big step back, and the backs of her knees knocked against the edge of the bed, sending her down fast. She bounced when her ass hit the bed, and she glared at him from where she sat. "Are you insane?"

"C'mon, it ain't that bad. I figured if your mom thinks you're already involved, she won't try to set you up with somebody."

"So you tell her that I'm dating _you_?! You, my best friend, the guy I live with?! You tell her we're _dating_?"

"What's so wrong with that idea?" Daryl asked, feeling a sting from her words, surprising him a little.

"I broke up with _Ed_ six months ago, first of all," Carol pointed out, standing up, putting her hands on her hips again so her elbows jutted out. "So now, what? My mom's going to think I'm some slutty slut that jumped right into bed with you the second I dumped Ed."

"What? Why would she think…? I mean, that's crazy."

"Daryl!" Carol groaned. "We live together. You told her we've been together for six months. Connect the dots here, please." Daryl blinked a few times, trying to process what the hell Carol was freaking out about so much. "She thinks we're in a serious relationship. She's going to…oh my _God."_

 _"_ What?" Daryl wasn't sure if he should be upset or annoyed at this point, and now Carol was pacing back and forth, and he couldn't keep up with her flip-out.

"She's going to start making wedding plans and thinking of baby names, and I can _not_ deal with this right now."

"Breathe." Daryl reached out, risking loss of life or limb, and he put his hands on Carol's shoulders. "Hey. Look at me. M'sorry. I'll call her back. And then she can bring whatever perfect guy she's got, and you can just…" Carol groaned, and she leaned forward, resting her forehead against Daryl's shoulder. "It was stupid. M'sorry. I can call her back and tell her it was a joke."

"No," Carol grumbled. "You were just…trying to help. In your own ridiculous way. I'll figure something out." Daryl smirked, and Carol rolled her eyes, and she sighed again. "Things at work are just so hectic right now. I just don't need…I don't need her pushing me into something right now." She frowned. "I'm an adult. I should be an adult and just tell her the truth."

"Alright…" Daryl gently squeezed her shoulders and met her gaze when she looked him in the eyes.

"But I can't. So it looks like we're going to dinner Friday."

"Great! Free food," Daryl offered with a nod.

"Oh, no. You're buying, Pookie. And I'm hungry for lobster." She grinned and patted his cheek, and then she turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of her bedroom with a silly smile on his face.

...

"Carol, you have a minute?" Carol looked up from the computer and smiled when her favorite co-worker came walking in.

"Hey, Michonne. Yeah, I'm at a stopping point. What's up?"

"I just got a text from Daryl. He said to ask his girlfriend—you—what she wants for dinner. First of all, why is he texting me to ask you when he can text you? And why did he call you his girlfriend?" Michonne pulled up a chair on the other side of Carol's desk. The offices at University Printing were small but, they each had their own space to work privately.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Yeah, we're lovers now. Look for a wedding invitation soon. I'm thinking a lovely Winter Wedding."

"Ok, you're lying, but I have no idea what's going on," Michonne said with a raised eyebrow as she scooted her chair closer to the desk.

"Is it lunch time?" Carol asked, glancing up at the clock. No, they were still a good hour away from that. She sighed. "To make a long story short, I told Daryl I was pretty sure my mother was going to try to set me up with some guy, and I was complaining about it. Well, my phone rings, and Daryl gets the bright idea to intervene and tell my mother that I'm taken. As in dating _him_. So, now my mother thinks that I'm in a super serious relationship with Daryl, and we're going to have dinner with her on Friday night." She watched as Michonne's eyebrows raised and jaw dropped, and then she tapped her fingers on the desk. "Well?"

"I'm processing," Michonne stuttered. "Um, so let me get this straight. You've got a thing for your best friend, which you can't tell him about, because you burned that bridge a long time ago, and now you have to pretend to be in love with him, only you really are in love with him, and you have to somehow be able to distance yourself, even though all you want is to jump his bones. Am I close?"

"Pretty much," Carol groaned, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands. Then Michonne smirked. "What?"

"Yeah, you're pretty much screwed."

"Yeah. Pretty much." She frowned. "He even offered to call my mother back and tell her it was all a lie."

"And?"

"And I told him not to."

"What? Why?!"

"Well, because it's easier than having her hounding me about who I should be dating, when I've got all of these articles to edit and publish. I can't."

"Or…because you actually kind of like the idea, and it's a little naughty and fun?"

"I'm horrible, aren't I?" Carol asked, running her fingers through her dark brown curls.

"A little, but it's cute."

"God, I can't do this. I can't. I need to call my mother and tell her the truth. I feel…dirty. Like I'd be using Daryl."

"Sweetie, he's the one that came up with the idea. Besides, I'm pretty sure he's still into you, too. You two are just too hard-headed to make it work out."

"No…he's just…Daryl. He flirts. He's suggestive. But he's way past that. He knows we really shouldn't be more than friends. If it was supposed to happen, it would have happened a long time ago. I can suffer in silence." She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her desk chair.

"You're crazy," Michonne said with a shake of her head. "You're absolutely crazy."

"Yeah," Carol said with a sigh. "Tell me about it." She frowned and raised her gaze to see her boss standing in the doorway looking disapprovingly at her and Michonne. She cleared her throat and gave Michonne a smile that said 'we're busted.' "So, I'll take a look at that article you e-mailed me, and I'll have some feedback before the end of the day." She cleared her throat, and Michonne stood quickly.

"Yeah. Thanks, Carol!" She turned and moved toward the doorway. "Uh, hey, Mr. Horvath. Cool tie." Dale Horvath raised an eyebrow and glanced at Carol, and as Michonne headed back into her office, she threw a grin back in Carol's direction before disappearing out of sight.

"How are those articles coming along, Carol?" Dale asked, stepping into the room.

"Great. Almost finished," Carol replied.

"Carol, you're doing exceptional work. The pieces of you've submitted for the university paper have been some of our biggest hits with the students."

"Yeah, well, give me a couple of years, then I'll just be that weird lady that graduated and won't leave campus."

"Hey, I'm the weird guy that graduated and never left campus. It pays the bills, and it's a hell of a job," Dale offered. He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You're very bright, Carol."

"Thank you, sir."

"I know you've been pushing yourself, and that's great. But you have nothing to worry about. You're one of our top editors. You and Michonne are two of my most promising new associates, and I don't say that lightly. I'm very proud of how far the both of you have come these past couple of months." He cleared his throat. "And I've noticed you've been distracted today. Whatever it is…"

"It won't affect my work, sir. I promise. I'm just having a few personal…things. It's nothing, really. I'm focused. I am." Dale paused for a moment before giving her a little nod.

"Glad to hear it. You'll have something ready for me by the end of the day?"

"I'm working on it now. Yes, sir."

"Good. Carry on." He left, and Carol sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair again. Yeah. Focused. She was certainly focused, but definitely not on work.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Daryl

Daryl tossed his filthy clothes into the hamper the second he got home and took a long, much-needed shower. He'd gone to school, gotten his degree, and until he found degree-oriented job, he was working full-time at a pretty busy garage about a mile away from home, which often meant he returned home with oil-stained clothes. Some things just never came out in the wash. But it was better than not pulling his weight and paying his half of everything.

His father had laughed in his face when he'd expressed an interest in studying photography, telling him that wouldn't get him anywhere. Daryl's two passions in life were motorcycles and nature, and he'd always had a keen eye for pictures, and he'd taken some pretty great photos for the high school year book way back when.

When he'd met Carol, he'd been surprised that she hadn't looked at him with his ripped jeans and long hair and laughed when he'd told her with complete seriousness that he was going to be a nature photographer, and he was going to run a garage. He had ambitions, and she totally believed in him. They'd been best friends ever since.

Carol had even offered to talk to her boss about getting some of his pictures published in the university paper, but he insisted that he could make his own way, and on his down time, he was putting together a portfolio of his best images.

Today, however, he was feeling different. Now, he was lying in the middle of his bed, hair drenched from the shower, towel wrapped carelessly around his waist, hanging low, but nobody was home, so it didn't really matter. The day had started…weird.

He'd been the first one up, and he'd made a hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs and even some fried potatoes. If there was one thing Daryl Dixon could do, it was put together a mean breakfast. He'd had it all ready, and he'd even put chocolate chips in Carol's pancakes—her favorite—and when she'd come in, she'd given him a look he couldn't quite read, and they'd ate together in relative silence.

He'd tried to break the ice by taking her mind off of _the thing_ aka his stupid lie, but it was like they were two different people. Then she'd left for the office, he'd left for the garage, and now he was home early, and all he could do was try to think of ways to make things less weird between them. He _hated_ when things got weird between them, which was one of the many reasons things had never taken off between them. They were great friends, but neither of them had ever been on the same page at the same time when it came to taking things to the next level. In the end, it just made more sense to be friends, and they were _really_ good at being friends.

He adored her. He'd taken some god-awful business writing classes just to be with her, and he hadn't learned a whole hell of a lot, but it had given him a chance to spend more time with her. He still thought about her, still wanted her, but then there'd been Ed. And, things had ended so quickly for her with Ed, that it had honestly taken him by surprise. One day, she'd seemed fine with Ed, and the next day, everything was over, and he still wasn't really all that certain of what had happened. Carol didn't talk about Ed much, but she certainly seemed happier without him.

Daryl sighed heavily and flopped over onto his side. On his bedside table was a picture of Carol. Well, of him with Carol, to be more accurate. They'd gone to a theme park a few months back with Michonne, and Michonne had grabbed Daryl's camera and taken the candid, and he was looking at Carol, and Carol was looking at the camera, and if there was anything he regretted more in the world, it was that he hadn't made a move that night. Carol had finally been in the mood to go have fun and hang out, and that night at the hotel, they'd gotten a little handsy with one another, but in the end, all Daryl could think about was how he didn't want to be Carol's rebound after Ed. And he'd left the ladies to finish their drinks and had retired to his own room to be alone.

And then the months had stretched on, and they were back to the way things used to be. Well, they were until he'd royally fucked up by trying to help. He flopped onto his back again and groaned, running his hands over his face as he thought about how he could get the two of them out of this mess. But before he could start brainstorming, he heard the front door open and Carol's voice echo down the hall.

"Daryl? You home?" He sprung up out of bed and quickly pulled on some sweat pants. He pulled on a white t-shirt and tried not to bound down the hall like an excited puppy. Carol was standing in the kitchen when he found her, and she was depositing a bag of groceries on the countertop.

"Hey," he offered, moving to lean against the counter, rummaging through the bag to see what goodies she brought home. He found a bag of grapes and popped one into his mouth. "How was work?"

"Work was weird," Carol replied. "Why did you text Michonne?"

"Oh, did you tell her we're madly in love?" Carol smirked at that and shook her head. "So? What'd she say?"

"I'm pretty sure she thinks we're both insane," Carol offered, pulling a bottle of wine from the bag. "Thirsty?"

"You trying to get me drunk, Carol Mason?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "You like me when I'm drunk."

"Oh, stop it," she muttered.

"Hey, we need to practice, y'know. We wanna be believable for your mom, right?" Carol frowned and sighed and put the bottle of wine in the fridge.

"I've been thinking about it, and I think I can manage to pretend you're irresistible for a couple of hours. I'm a pretty good actress, you know."

"Yeah, you used to put on a hell of a performance for Ed if I remember right. Sometimes it was _real_ convincing."

"Daryl!" She grabbed a handful of grapes and threatened to throw them, but Daryl caught her wrist. "You're impossible." He brought Carol's hand to his mouth and dislodged a grape from between her fingers with his tongue. Carol rolled her eyes and proceeded to smash the other grapes in his face. Daryl snorted as Carol turned to put the rest of the groceries away.

"So, how do we do this?" Daryl asked, wiping at his face. "We go to dinner, we pretend to be madly in love with each other, and then, what, a few weeks later, when things calm down at work, you tell her we decided to just be friends?"

"Something like that," Carol offered. "Things were good at work today." She smiled at that, and Daryl watched as she relaxed a little, leaning against the countertop. "My boss is pretty happy with my work."

"Told you you'd be awesome at it." Carol smiled warmly then.

"Yeah, you did. Thanks for pushing me to take the job."

"That's what m'here for," he offered with a shrug. "So, what's for dinner tonight, anyway. Michonne never texted me back."

"I thought about ordering in. Chinese?"

"Sounds good. Movie?"

"You pick," Carol offered.

"You mean it? You ain't mad at me?"

"I tried," Carol said with a grin. "But you were really just trying to help. Thank you."

"You really gotta lie to your mom, though?"

"Did I tell you about my senior prom?" Carol asked. Daryl furrowed his brows for a moment, thinking. Then he shook his head.

"Oh, let's wait for the food. This story deserves a proper set up."

...

"So not only does my date show up at the door, but so does this other kid that my mom's friend talked into taking me. And here I am in my prom dress, all made up, and my date's looking at me like I'm cheating on him or something. It was a mess. But my mom insisted that it was my fault, because I didn't tell her about my date." She rolled her eyes and took a bite of egg roll.

"God," Daryl snorted. "So what happened?"

"I sent the other guy away, and I finally talked my actual date down, convinced him it was all a misunderstanding. He went to prom with me that night, and then he never talked to me again." She shrugged. "I didn't talk to my mom for a month."

"So, she ruined your social life, so now you're convinced you gotta lie to her?"

"No, it's… _hey_! You're the one that lied to her, remember?" Carol pointed out. "No, look. My mother is amazing. I love her. But she's got too much time on her hands, and it's a good thing she lives in Nebraska, because I could _not_ deal with her on a daily basis."

"Thought you two were best buddies."

"Well, we are, but I've grown up, and she needs to understand that I don't need her help finding a man. I'm doing just fine, thanks." She saw the grin spread over Daryl's lips, and she scrunched up her nose. "What?"

"Nothin'."

"You have something to say, you better say it, Daryl Dixon. Are you amused at my lack of a sex life?"

"Nah," he said with a shrug. "Ain't none of my business." His gaze flickered to hers, and she gave him a brief smile, and he could have sworn she looked sad for just a moment. But then she leaned back against the couch and reached for her wine glass. She took a sip, and he couldn't help but watch the way her eyes fluttered closed as she savored the taste. She moaned softly and put her glass back down.

"That's good. You want some more?"

"Yeah. I'll get it," he offered. He hopped up, and Carol curled up on one side of the couch, tucking her feet under Daryl's cushion. When Daryl returned with two full glasses, Carol smiled as she took hers in her hand and took a small sip.

"Thanks," she said softly. Daryl sat down then, chuckling as he felt Carol wiggle her toes beneath his seat. He tugged her feet out from under him with one hand, and he put his glass aside. Patting his lap, he urged her to put his feet there, and she moaned softly when he started giving her one of his amazing foot rubs. He knew just the right places to put more pressure on, and the calluses on his hands seemed to make the massage all the more pleasing.

"You never told me," he said quietly, as she reached for her wine glass, took another sip and placed it on the coffee table.

"Told you what?"

"Why you broke up with Ed?"

"Sure I did," Carol said with a sleepy shrug.

"Nope. If I remember right, you just said 'it doesn't matter. It's over, and it's done.'" Carol eyed Daryl for a moment, watching the way his eyes sought hers, and she sighed.

"It doesn't really matter, does it? That was months ago." Daryl continued to stare at her, and she sighed. "Let's just watch a movie. Did you pick one?"

"You can talk about it, ya know?"

"I know," she said with a little smile. "I just choose not to. That alright with you?"

"Guess so. For now," he murmured, taking another sip of wine before tapping on her foot. She moved her feet, and Daryl got up, crossing the room to the bookcase that was filled with DVDs. He picked one out, and before too long, they were snuggled up together on the couch, Carol's legs draped over his lap, her head on his shoulder. This was normal. Maybe it wasn't normal to everyone else, but for them, this was just the way it was.

He had one arm around her waist, and his other hand was placed gently against her outer thigh. The movie was about halfway over when Carol started to giggle.

"What?" he asked, voice low from drink and exhaustion.

"That tickles." It was only then that Daryl realized his fingers were skimming along her leg, and he quickly moved his hand away as if he'd been burnt. Carol turned her face toward his, only to find herself a little too close to his lips for comfort. She swallowed hard and took a breath, and then she scooted off his lap and stood up, clearing her throat. "I'm pretty tired. I think I should go to bed."

"Oh. Sure. Alright." He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. He stood then, taking a few steps toward her, and she wrung her hands together, as if she didn't quite know what to say or do next. "This has gotta stop."

"What?"

"This…weird…shit." He gestured emphatically between the two of them. "We should just fuck, get it over with, and then we can go back to being friends." Carol's jaw dropped, and he smirked.

"You wish!" she laughed.

"See! That's it. There's my girl. Stop being weird. This is my fault. Just call your mom, tell her what a dumbass I am, and we can forget this. And I'll just…I dunno, I'll help you fend off this army of eligible studs she's planning to send your way." Carol laughed then, and she took a step toward him, pulling her arms around his neck. He pulled her in, hugging her tight, and maybe a little too close, but it was ok anyway.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I'll call her now. Good night, Daryl."

"Night," he murmured, hesitating to pull away but not wanting to linger too long. He let her go then, and he flopped back on the couch, grabbed both of their wine glasses and proceeded to finish them both.

...

"Hi, honey," Charlotte Mason said with a hint of surprise in her voice. "It's late."

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry. I just wanted to call and clear something up."

"Oh? Oh! Before you do, I just wanted to tell you that I got an interesting phone call today."

"Oh?" Carol asked softly. "From who?"

"Ed."

"Ed?!"

"Honey, he was calling to find out if I'd heard from you."

"Well, he knows my phone number, and he knows where I live, so I don't know why he has to go through you."

"Honey, Ed was such a nice young man."

"Yeah, well, nice only goes so far. I didn't love him, mom."

"Did you…is that why you broke up with him? I mean, was Daryl the reason?"

"I…" Carol swallowed hard and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. That's why. I wasn't in love with Ed. But, Daryl…I couldn't string Ed along, when I knew it wasn't going anywhere." And there wasn't a lie to be found. Ed had been alright. Kind of boring, but he'd been alright. He just wasn't Daryl, and she couldn't fall in love with him no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she could.

"Are you…does Daryl make you happy?" her mother asked softly, voice shaking just enough to get her daughter's attention.

"Mom? Mom, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's…I'm just…I'm glad you've found someone, sweetheart. It makes me feel better. See, your father and I are…oh, I don't know. We're going through a rough patch. I just miss the way things used to be."

"Oh, mom," Carol sighed. "Dad loves you. You know that."

"Oh, of course I know. I just wish he'd say it more," she said quietly. "It makes me feel better to know you've got Daryl. You do…you're happy, right?" Carol felt her stomach tighten then, and her lower lip trembled. She found herself blinking back tears, and she sighed.

"I'm happy, Mom. He makes me happy." Well, that wasn't a lie either. As miserable as she felt that she was lying to her mother, she couldn't deny that Daryl did make her happy. And telling her mother that she was miserably single and pining for Daryl in reality would probably break her mother's heart.

"Good," Charlotte said with a happy sigh. "I can't wait to see the both of you on Friday. I'll drop my things off at the hotel first. Oh, and I just want you to know that I'll be staying an extra couple of days. I've missed you, and now that you're in such a good place, I'd love to get to know the man that's probably going to be my son-in-law one day."

"Mom! It's not…we're not there…yet."

"Well, it doesn't mean we can't get to know each other. You've been together for six months, and you live together! I'd say that's close enough." Carol sighed, but she couldn't refuse her mother the opportunity to get to know Daryl. After all, Daryl had been her constant for the past four years.

"Alright, Mom," Carol finally relented. "We'll see you Friday. Safe trip, ok?"

"Love you, honey."

"Love you too, Mom," Carol replied softly. "Bye."

A few minutes later, back in the living room, Daryl's cell phone buzzed, and he picked it up to read the message.

COULDN'T TELL HER. I THINK HER AND DAD ARE HAVING PROBLEMS.

SORRY _,_ he texted back. YOU OK?

YEAH. I THINK SO. SHE'S PROBABLY JUST GETTING EMOTIONAL. THEIR ANNIVERSARY IS COMING UP, AND SHE PROBABLY THINKS HE FORGOT. SO…YOU OK WITH THIS?

YEP. JUST A DINNER, RIGHT? NOTHING TO IT.

UH…ACTUALLY, SHE'S STAYING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHE WANTS TO GET TO KNOW YOU.

AWESOME. MOMS LOVE ME.

YEAH?

NO, BUT DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?

JERK. LOVE YOU.

She'd typed the words without even thinking, and she held her breath, cringing the second after she hit SEND. His reply wasn't so quick, but finally, after what seemed an eternity, her phone buzzed, and she opened one eye to read the message.

LOVE YOU TOO, BRAT. NIGHT.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Dinner

"Are you almost ready? We gotta be there in an hour, and traffic is gonna be shitty all the way there," Daryl mused from outside Carol's bedroom door. He heard her huff and groan, and then he heard the bed springs. "You ok in there?"

"I can't go through with this."

"You're gettin' your mom outta your hair and makin' her feel better when she's havin' a rough time. In a few weeks, when things calm down, you can just tell her you dumped me, and I'll just be that cool ex-boyfriend you can still talk to and be friends with. It's just a little white lie. You're not hurting anyone. You can do this." He gave the door a tap. "Just get out here."

"I look awful."

"Not possible. And I've seen you almost naked with your hair in every direction."

"When?!"

"That morning after Michonne's post-grad party, remember? You came outta the bathroom in your bra and a pair of Superman boxers, and you looked like you'd been huggin' the toilet all night."

"Oh," she groaned. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Get out here, woman."

"Oh, fine," she huffed. He heard the whip of fabric as she tossed something in the air, and then the door opened, and she came stepping out in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white top that clung to her and was cut low enough that he could see the tops of her breasts. His face went a bit pink, and Carol smirked. "I'm up here, Romeo."

"You look…beautiful," he got out, unable to deny how gorgeous she looked with her dark curls pulled back with a clip while a few loose strands curled down to frame her face. She was breathtaking.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said with a smile, reaching out to touch his chest. He was wearing a nice, crisp blue shirt with a black tie, and he was wearing shiny, black shoes with his black dress pants. "I feel a little under dressed." She frowned and started back to her room.

"No! You look great. Your mom won't care what you're wearin'. Let's go."

"Alright," Carol huffed. "Ok. We can do this. It's just a dinner. And a weekend. We can do this." She swallowed hard and frowned. "You don't think I'm using you?"

"I got us both into this mess. Use away," he teased. Carol rolled her eyes and swatted at his arm. "Remember, she won't stop until she finds you a man, so this is the only way you can have peace until things calm down at work." He gripped her shoulders, spun her around and gave her a swat on the behind. "Go get 'em."

"Did you just pep-talk me and smack my ass?"

"I can do it again if you liked it that much."

"Stop," she laughed. Daryl smirked and put his hand against her lower back.

"You look great. Stop overthinkin' it." Carol sighed then, relaxing a little, and they headed down the hall toward the front door. Suddenly, she turned toward him.

"This is stupid," she explained. "I'm twenty-three. I shouldn't have to lie to my own mother about my relationship status just to keep her out of my hair. I get that she wants me happy, but it's not like I'm an old maid. I mean, why does she think it's her job to find me a man, anyway? Doesn't she trust me to do that on my own? I mean, Ed was alright. Yeah, I broke up with him. Sure. But I've had other decent boyfriends. I just…don't think it's her business who I spend my time with anyway."

"You done?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow as Carol took in a deep breath.

"Yeah."

"Feel better?"

"Not really. I'm a nervous wreck, but let's go."

"Hey, you can always picture me in my underwear. I hear it helps."

"I hate you," she whined, as they headed out the door toward the parking lot.

...

"Mom!" Carol called, smiling brightly when she saw her mother sitting in the corner booth at the restaurant.

"Carol Ann!" Charlotte Mason cried, standing up and rushing down the aisle to hug her daughter, despite onlookers' bewildered stares. "Oh, look at you. You look too skinny. Make sure you order a dessert." She framed her daughter's face with her hands and smiled a tearful, happy smile. "Where's this Daryl?"

"He's parking his truck. He'll be in in a minute. You'll really like him."

"He's all you ever talk about when we do speak. I can't believe you never told me. I can't believe _I_ didn't figure it out on my own. But it's obvious how much you love him, so I'm sure I'll love him, too." Carol smiled then, and she felt her heart flutter beneath her breast. Swallowing hard, she gave her mother a nod and the two headed back to the booth.

The waitress came for drink orders, and Carol went ahead and ordered a glass of white wine for herself and a glass of red for Daryl. And within a couple of minutes, Daryl came walking down the aisle toward the booth. Carol was the first to see him, as she was in the seat facing the door. It was then that her tongue seemed to go numb, and she didn't have a clue what to say. Mercifully, Daryl seemed to know just what to do.

"Hi, beautiful," he murmured, leaning down to greet her with a soft peck to the lips. Carol sighed softly in the all-too-brief moment that their lips touched, and when Daryl pulled back, her eyelids fluttered open to stare directly in to his. His lips twitched into an amused smile, and he turned to extend his hand toward Carol's mother.

"You must be Daryl," Charlotte said with a happy smile. "Oh, I've heard so much about you. It's good to finally see the man Carol's spoken non-stop about for years." Daryl glanced at Carol, and she blushed, clearing her throat.

"Mom, this is Daryl. Daryl, this is my mother, Charlotte Mason." Daryl kissed Carol's mother on the cheek, and Carol wondered how the hell Daryl knew the way to Charlotte Mason's heart. He was good at playing the doting boyfriend, that was for sure.

"It's good to meet ya, ma'am."

"Oh, do I detect a bit of a Southerner in you, Daryl?"

"Georgia. Born and raised, ma'am," he said with a chuckle, taking a seat next to Carol. He scooted in close, and their thighs touched, and on top of the table, Daryl linked his fingers through hers, and she wondered if he could feel how her palms were already sweaty and her pulse was racing a mile a minute.

"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. My husband was a Southern boy himself. Carol must have gotten her taste in men from me." She winked at Carol, and Carol groaned internally. Well, this was embarrassing. "So, Daryl. Tell me all about yourself. I'm dying to get to know the man my daughter's fallen head over heels for."

"Head over heels, huh?" Daryl asked, glancing at Carol and giving her a shit-eating grin. She gripped his hand tighter, and his knuckle popped. Charlotte cast a curious glance between the two of them and then took a sip of ice water.

"Would you two excuse me for just a moment?" she asked. Carol nodded, and Charlotte got up to head to the ladies room.

"So, does your back hurt?" Daryl asked when they were alone.

"What?"

"You know, from when you fell so hard for me."

"Oh, shut up," Carol laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"Think she buys it?"

"I think she's in love with you. I can just leave and you two can finish this dinner," Carol offered. She started to scoot out, but Daryl caught her around the middle. "I think she's going to be the one with a broken heart when we lower the boom on her."

"Kiss me," Daryl urged, brows raising.

"What?"

"You want this to look real, right? She's coming back. Kiss me." Carol felt like the breath had left her lungs the second she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. The warmth of his lips against hers made everything melt away for just a moment. And when she felt his tongue against her lips, she gasped softly and pulled back, glaring at him for that move as her mother sat down.

"Oh, aren't you two sweet? Sorry about that. I forgot to text your father when my flight got it," she said softly. "So, Daryl. Tell me all about yourself. I want to know everything." Daryl glanced at Carol, who raised an eyebrow and grinned. Under the table, she gripped his thigh just a little bit higher than he would have expected, and he squirmed in the seat. He glanced over at her, and she smirked with a look in her eye that told him that payback was a bitch.

...

"Daryl, you really didn't have to pick up the tab," Charlotte said with a dreamy smile and a wink toward her daughter.

"It ain't a problem," he replied with a little grin. The wine had certainly loosened him up, and Carol couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest every time Daryl looked her way. And then she'd have to tell herself all over again that this was just pretend. They were really good at pretending.

"Well, I should really be getting back to my hotel. I'm exhausted," Charlotte said with a sigh.

"Do you need any help getting back?" Carol offered. "We could follow you, and…"

"Oh, don't even think about it! I'm hoping I'll get lost and wind up running into a handsome actor or maybe a director. I might just be in a movie."

"M'afraid you're on the wrong end of town, Mrs. Mason."

"Please, call me Charlie," Charlotte laughed. "No, I'll make it back just fine. But tomorrow, I fully expect the full tour. I've always dreamed of standing in Judy Garland's footprints."

"Walk of Fame it is," Carol said with a nod. "We'll make a day of it, mom. But, Daryl's got a long shift at the garage tomorrow."

"Oh, you won't be there?" she asked. "I was looking forward to getting to know you a little better, Daryl."

"It's no problem. I can get Axel to take my shift," Daryl offered.

"You don't have to do that. Really," Carol urged, raising an eyebrow as if asking him to back off.

"Really. I'd like to go. Might even get a few good pictures in. It's been a while since we've been out on the town, babe." He threw his arm around Carol's shoulders, and she sighed.

 _Babe?_ Nope, Daryl couldn't pull it off, but she couldn't deny that it still sounded sexy coming out of his mouth. Apparently, there was no resisting that Dixon charm, even if it was all pretend.

"Sure…honey," Carol offered, getting a smirk out of Daryl. "Sounds good."

They finished the rest of the meal, and as they got up to leave, Daryl linked his fingers with Carol's, and she felt a shiver run up her spine when he brushed his calloused thumb over her knuckles. She glanced at him, but he kept looking forward, and they headed outside with Charlotte.

"You want us to wait with you?" Carol offered.

"No, you two go along. I'm sure you're both exhausted. Go home, enjoy your evening." Carol smiled then, and she pulled her mother into a hug.

"Do me a favor?"

"What's that, sweetie?"

"Call Dad," Carol said gently. "I'm sure he misses you."

"Oh, I'm sure he's glad to be rid of me. Twenty-five years of marriage is a long time." Charlotte paused. "You two will understand someday. Sometimes it's nice to be away from each other for a little bit. Oh, but you're probably still in the honeymoon phase."

"Mom," Carol murmured. "We're…it's just not…"

"Oh, I'm embarrassing you. I'm sorry," Charlotte chuckled. "I can't stop talking when I've got a little wine in me."

"That's where she gets it from, huh?" Daryl asked, pulling Carol close, kissing her like they'd kissed every day for years.

"Oh, you two," Charlotte sighed. "To be young and in love again." She shook her head. "You kids have a good night. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Bye, Mom. Text me when you get back to the hotel, ok?"

"I will, sweetheart," Charlotte promised, as she waved for a taxi. Carol and Daryl stood and waited until Charlotte was in the taxi before they headed off toward the truck.

"You can let go of my hand now," Carol said softly.

"Nah," he said with a shrug. "Maybe she's still watching. Better keep holding on." He glanced at her, giving her a grin, and she smiled before rolling her eyes and curling her fingers around his just a little tighter.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Babe

"Babe? What was that?" Carol snorted as she came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of black pajama pants and a white tank top. She was rubbing a towel over her dripping hair, and she stopped in the doorway of Daryl's bedroom.

"What?" he asked, sitting on the edge of his bed with his cell phone in one hand and his charger in the other. "It was better than the 'honey' that you threw my way. That was kind of…"

"Gross?" Carol offered. She laughed then, and Daryl grinned that genuine grin that made her feel like things weren't going to be weird after all. Daryl hopped up from the bed and put his phone and charger aside, and Carol couldn't help but feel her stomach flip a little when Daryl tugged his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular torso, complete with the V of his hipbones disappearing into his baggy sweatpants. "By the way, what the hell was that shit you pulled back at the restaurant?"

"Don't know what you're talkin' about," he said with a shrug before nonchalantly dropping to the floor for pushups. Carol bit her lip, trying not to audibly groan at the sight of his muscles flexing and straining with each pushup.

"You put your _tongue_ in my mouth."

"It's been there before, if I remember right." He felt something hit him in the back, and he paused only to discover that it was one of Carol's fluffy slippers. The other one promptly followed, smacking him in the shoulder. "Alright, so we gotta set boundaries. I can kiss you, but no tongue?"

"And keep your gropey hands to yourself."

"So I can't touch you? Got it."

"Well, I mean, you can touch me, but…you know, not in a sexy way."

"No sexiness. I think I got it," he said with a snort, finishing his twentieth pushup before standing and stretching his arms. He looked at her then, gaze lingering on her lips before he looked up into her eyes.

"And don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" he asked, incredulous as he stepped toward her.

"You know. Your eyes do this…thing. And I can't…"

"So no eyeballs. Cool."

"You know what I mean," she laughed.

"So you want to pretend we're together, but I can't look at you like I want you, and I can't touch you like we've seen each other naked?"

"I don't…uh…" She swallowed hard and took a step back into the hall. "Well, you can…hold my hand. That's ok. And you can kiss me. Just…"

"No tongue. Yeah, I remember. I'll be totally PG. Disney channel kisses."

"Daryl," she groaned. "Alright, some tongue. Respectful tongue. Not porno tongue."

"I didn't give you porno tongue, did I?"

"Well, no. But, just…warn me or something."

"Warn you?" Daryl chuckled. "Alright." He took three swift steps toward her, and Carol's eyes widened. "Carol?"

"Huh?"

"I'm going to kiss you with non-porno tongue now."

"You…you are?" she asked, lips parting slightly as Daryl leaned just a little closer.

"That a good enough warning?" he asked. Carol swallowed hard then, mouth going painfully dry. "Or do we need some kind of secret hand signal?" Carol felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest, and she gripped the door frame behind her for purchase.

"I…"

"Or should we blink at each other in Morse code."

"Oh, shut up," she snorted before turning around and making her way to her room. She could hear his feet on the carpet behind her, and she paused in her own doorway, turning just as he about smacked into her. Their eyes met, and she felt that ache in her chest move lower, swirling around in her belly as her knees turned to jelly. How the hell did she expect herself to get through the entire weekend with her heart in one piece? How the hell was he so good at pretending to love her, when it was all she could do to force herself not to convince herself that it was real? This was a dangerous game, and she wasn't altogether certain that she was going to come out of this with her heart still intact. It was her own fault, really. She could have stopped this before it started, but they were already in this. Deep.

"You wanna watch a movie?" he suggested, completely turning the conversation on its head.

"I…should really get some sleep. You should, too. Tomorrow's going to be exhausting," Carol pointed out. Daryl nodded then, and he took a step forward. Carol's eyes widened for the briefest of moments, and Daryl lingered in her comfort zone a little longer than she expected. And then, without notice, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, and her heart just about stopped. His hand came up to the side of her face, fingertips brushing through her hair as his thumb stroked the line of her jaw.

She was paralyzed, waiting for whatever came next, waiting for him to deepen the kiss, waiting for it to go much further than that.

His lips brushed over hers, warm and damp, and he smelled like minty mouthwash, and all she could think about was how she wanted to taste him, and before she could even think about making that move, he pulled back, hand lingering at her cheek. She realized her eyes were closed then, and they slowly fluttered open, blinking as his face came back into focus.

"Was that ok?"

"That was…"

"And there was no tongue."

"I'm…no…no, there was definitely no tongue." Those words disappointed her more than she expected. "That was…I…" Words failed her, and she opened and closed her mouth a few more times. Daryl grinned and brushed his hand over her shoulder.

"Good night, brat," he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead and turning back toward his room. "Sweet dreams."

"Yeah," she murmured, stunned. "You too." She turned back to her room, shut the door, and then she flopped down onto her bed, burying her face into the pillow and groaning as she realized that she had to be the world's biggest masochist. He was having _so_ much fun being her pretend boyfriend, and all she wanted to do was curl up and die, because surely there was no greater hell than this.

But before she could scream into her pillow, her cell phone buzzed on her night stand. Frowning, she made a grab for it and opened the message. It was from Daryl.

SO, YOU WANNA COME BACK TO MY ROOM?

GET OVER YOURSELF _,_ she texted back, laughing to herself.

IT WAS A GOOD KISS, WASN'T IT?

GOODNIGHT, JERK.

NIGHT…BABE.

STOP!

OK, HONEY.

DARYL DIXON!

She heard him laugh from his room, and she rolled her eyes before tapping out one last message.

IT WAS A GOOD KISS, OK? GOOD NIGHT. ;)

She groaned audibly when she realized she'd put the winky-face emoticon in her text, but it was too late, and when he didn't respond, she felt a bit relieved. She put her phone away, turned off her light and pulled the covers over her head, trying not to think about what was coming tomorrow.

...

Carol woke late the next morning, moaning softly as she stretched and tossed off her covers. She could hear Daryl moving around in the kitchen, and she could already smell breakfast on the griddle, and she was pretty certain she could smell Daryl's famous French toast. Her stomach growled, so she made quick work of peeing, brushing her hair and tossing an oversized sweater over her tank top. Normally, she didn't really care how she looked in the morning, because it was usually just Daryl, who, as he'd reminded her, seen her wearing her bra and a pair of boxers after a night of hugging the toilet.

But today felt different. She wasn't wearing a bra, and she didn't want to draw attention to that fact. And she wanted to at least come to breakfast with fresh breath and hair that didn't look like rats had nested in it.

She piled her freshly brushed curls into a loose ponytail, and by the time she finished brushing her teeth, she could hear Daryl talking. Who would he be calling at eight in the morning?

And that was when she heard it.

"Where is that daughter of mine?" _Shit._

"She likes to sleep in on the weekends. Think she's just been workin' too hard." Carol paused in the hallway, listening to the conversation take place.

"She's taking care of herself, right?"

"Sometimes she forgets lunch," Daryl pointed out, and Carol cringed. Her mother would give her hell for that. "But I try to stop by and take her to lunch most days." Well, that was true. "Don't want her to think I'm checkin' up on her, but I try to take care of her when she's got a lot on her mind." Carol's hand moved her chest, and she felt a tug at her heart. It was true. Daryl was often the one making breakfast or going on a run to the store if she was too tired after work.

She _loved_ her job. There was no denying that. But it was a bit stressful lately, and she had been pretty much wiped out every day after work. And Daryl had been right there, giving her foot rubs and pouring her wine and suggesting movie nights, obviously a ploy to take her mind off of work and to help her relax. She honestly didn't know what she'd do without him.

"Well, Daryl, I'm grateful," Charlotte said with a sigh. "My daughter is…well, she's been my world since the day she was born. Thank you for being so good to her. I can see how much you love her."

"Yes, ma'am. I do. I never met anybody like her before." Carol felt her breath catch in her throat just then, and she swallowed hard, telling herself this was all part of the lie. Daryl's world had been his work and his photography and the dates with women that _weren't_ her, and it had been a waiting game. Waiting for him to make a move, waiting for herself to make a move, but it had never been right. The timing had always been off. Of course he was just pretending.

"Oh, this French toast is to die for. Who taught you how to cook, Daryl?"

"Kinda taught myself, ma'am," he said with a chuckle. "My mama wasn't a good cook, and by the time I was old enough to use the stove, I figured if I wanted to eat, I better make somethin' worth eating."

"Did somebody say French toast?" Carol asked, clearing her throat and stepping into the hallway as if she'd just walked out of her room and hadn't heard the conversation that had just happened moments before.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're up," Charlotte said with a warm smile.

"What are you doing here?" Carol asked with a chuckle, giving her mom a quick hug.

"Well, I wanted to come see the place. Thankfully, Daryl _was_ awake and was kind enough to humor a weary traveler while we waited for Sleeping Beauty to arise." Carol made a face but said nothing. "It's beautiful. The two of you have made such a nice home for yourselves." Carol stole a glance at Daryl, who was serving French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon onto a plate for her. He glanced up at her and gave her a nod.

"You hungry?"

"Starved," Carol admitted, putting her hand against her grumbling belly. She moved across the kitchen to grab the plate, and Daryl leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. She started to freeze, but she caught herself and let herself enjoy the feeling of his lips against hers.

"Mornin'," he murmured, lips quirking into a half smile as Carol met his gaze when they parted.

"Morning," she replied, blushing as she turned to sit on a bar stool at the counter.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to use the ladies room," Charlotte said with a little smile. Daryl pointed her in the direction of the bathroom, and she made her exit. When Daryl settled down across from Carol, she glanced at him briefly before looking down at her plate.

"Hey. You ok?"

"I'm fine," she said, taking a forkful of egg and popping it into her mouth. "So, she been here long?"

"Fifteen minutes, maybe." He furrowed his brows, trying to read her. "Why?" She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"You guys talk about anything?"

"Food," he snorted. "Um…you."

"Me?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"Yeah, I told her you work too hard," he replied. And that was it. No elaboration.

"Oh," she said with a nod.

"You ok this morning? You seem kinda…"

"I'm fine," she promised, giving him a smile. "Just not awake yet." She held his gaze for a moment and signed. "Really. Don't worry. I'm fine." With that, she went back to her breakfast and hoped she could get through this day relatively unscathed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Good Night

Carol groaned, leaning her head forward only to feel her neck pop in the process, as Daryl shut the front door behind them.

"You ok?"

"My mother is exhausting," she groaned.

"She's sweet. I like her."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I love her, but she was such a tourist today. Actually, you were, too. I swear, you'd think you never saw the Walk of Fame before." She laughed but quickly stopped when she felt Daryl's hands on her shoulders from behind.

"It was fun. I had fun."

"Yeah," Carol agreed. "I did, too." She chuckled. "I just hope she sleeps in tomorrow." Daryl snorted at that.

"You want a drink?"

"Wine would be nice," she said with a nod. "I need a shower first though. Pick out a movie, and we can just relax."

"You always want me to pick out the movies."

"Because you don't like the girly romantic movies," Carol pointed out. "So I figured it'll be less of a headache for us both if you just pick one." Daryl made a face at that, and Carol laughed. "I'll be five minutes."

"Hah. Five minutes in the shower? I'd like to see that."

"Yeah, I bet you would," she teased.

"That an invite?"

"Hmmm," she pondered with a giggle before she could stop herself. Thankfully, Daryl didn't press the matter, and he just let her walk away.

"Alright then. I'll just be here getting drunk and waiting. Five minutes. I'm timing you! Go!" Carol laughed, grabbed some comfy pajamas out of her room and locked herself up in the bathroom. The second she stepped under the hot stream, she knew it would be much longer than five minutes, but all of the tension in her body just seemed to melt away. She pressed her hands against the side of the shower and leaned into the water, arching her neck back so the spray hit her right in the face. Ah, heaven.

She took her time, lathering herself up and then washing her hair, running her hands over her breasts and between her legs, finding that she spending a little too much time there as she washed. She couldn't deny that it had been…well, it had been a while, and there had been a few nights that Daryl had brought women home, and she'd listen to them and be disgusted with herself. But the walls were thin, and whatever Daryl had done to those women, they had _really_ enjoyed it.

But since she'd broken up with Ed, Daryl's dates had become fewer and farther between, and sometimes, before he'd go out, he'd even offer to stay in just to hang out with her, and she'd tell him not to give up his plans on account of his pathetic roommate. Even on the nights he'd bring a woman home, there'd always be something left in the refrigerator for her from the restaurant.

She remembered waking up in the middle of the night to some Chinese in takeout containers in the fridge, only to dryly think 'yeah, you enjoy your hot sex. I'll enjoy my Egg Fu Yung." That had been rock bottom.

Alright, so Daryl wasn't a man-whore or anything. He'd had dates, and some of them had gone really well, or at least that's how it had seemed. But the handful of women she remembered him bringing home had usually never come back for second dates. Then again, she'd never seen Daryl pick up the phone once to give them a call. Instead, the following nights after Daryl's dates, he and Carol would usually stretch out on the couch and order pizza, and that would be that.

And then her mind wandered back to that night that she, Michonne and Daryl had gotten a little drunk at the hotel. She distinctly remembered Michonne going out for more ice and was gone for what seemed like an hour. She also remembered flirting with Daryl. A lot. There was some kissing that she could remember, and then Michonne had shown up, Daryl had fled like his pants were on fire, and then that had been it. That had been the last time they'd even come close to going further than friendship. After that, he'd started dating, and she'd had a couple of dinner dates, and she'd waited for any sign from him that maybe he wanted more. But, from what she could tell, he'd gone back to his usual flirty, teasing self, and half the time, she couldn't figure if he was serious or not. It was maddening.

She sighed as the water began to run cold, and she quickly turned off the tap. She could hear noise coming from the living room, probably opening previews on the DVD, so she grabbed a towel and hopped out of the shower. She looked in the mirror, looking into the reflection of her own eyes, wondering how she could have all the confidence in the world when it came to her sex life until Daryl Dixon walked by with those baby blue eyes and made her knees turn to jelly.

He was her best friend, and it was complicated, and all she wanted was for the past two days to not have been pretend.

 _Pathetic. It's your own fault, and you know it. There's no coming out of the friend-zone now._

...

Daryl sat up and glanced down the hallway where he could hear her rustling around in the bathroom. He sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch, folding his arms behind his head. He couldn't help but think about what the hell was taking her so long. A smile tugged at his lips as he wondered if maybe she took care of her needs in the shower like he did.

He made a mental note to maybe never say those words out loud, lest she refuse to ever take her turn cleaning the bathroom again.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the previews playing on the DVD. He'd settled for something in the middle of their tastes that they might both enjoy, or at least something that wouldn't be too irritating in the background when they inevitably ignored the film and started talking. That's usually the way it always happened. She'd have her glass of wine, sometimes two, and then she'd prop her feet in his lap, and then he'd proceed to rub her feet until she could barely keep her eyes open.

And sometimes, just sometimes, he'd think there might be something more. She'd give him a look, and he'd want to act on it, and still, something would keep him. They were friends. If something else was supposed to happen, wouldn't it have happened already? There had been a time before Ed came along that he'd thought everything was going to fall into place for them, and then it didn't, and then Ed became a major presence in their lives.

He didn't have much against Ed except for Carol still really didn't want to talk about why they broke up. He wouldn't completely take Ed off of his shit list, because he knew that if he ever found out Ed had done something to really hurt Carol, he'd hunt him down and make him beg for his mama.

And beyond all that, Carol was the best thing that had ever happened to him. She was his best friend, his confidant, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin that. When Ed was around, it had been bad enough, even though Carol always tried to make time for just the two of them. But he had missed her. Physically missed her. He knew it wasn't healthy, and he knew that thinking about her all the time was only making things worse. If he wanted to move past this awkward tension, he was going to have to go out and do something about it. But the truth of the matter was, so was she. He hated that she stayed in every night and didn't get out. What was she waiting for? Was she still not over Ed? But she hadn't loved him, had she? Honestly, these days, he couldn't read her, and it was driving him nuts.

He rubbed his jaw, feeling the growth of stubble since morning scraping over his fingertips. The movie started automatically, and Daryl paused it, listening to her moving about the bathroom getting ready. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head in exasperation. Five minutes. Ha, he knew her better than that. He knew her better than himself really. Since the first day they'd met, they'd had this connection. He'd never known anybody the way he knew Carol, least of all any of the girls he'd been involved with. Sex was sex, and sure, it was great, but there was always something missing. Those girls weren't _her._ But he didn't want to be _that_ guy. He didn't want to be the guy who didn't feel right with anyone else, so he just _assumed_ the connection with the close girl friend meant she was the one.

But what if she was?

He groaned and tossed a pillow across the room, only to hear the floor creak as Carol came stepping into the room. The pillow knocked over the coat rack ,and Carol raised her eyebrows.

"Did my coat do something to piss you off?" she asked, moving across the room to pick up the coat rack, the coat and the pillow. She tossed said pillow back at Daryl, and he caught it.

"Yeah. Matter of fact, it did," he replied, sitting up and scooting over. "Let's get drunk."

"I like that idea," Carol laughed. "Did you get started already?"

"Nah. Thought I'd wait for you."

"What a gentleman," Carol chuckled, settling down next to him on the couch. Daryl handed her a glass of wine, pressed play, and it wasn't long before his arm was around her waist, her head was on his shoulder, and everything was normal, only everything wasn't normal. Everything had changed just enough that they could both feel it, and there was a good possibility it would never be the same.


	7. Chapter 7: Photograph

Chapter 7: Photograph

Daryl yawned the second the credits started rolling. His head was heavy with sleep, and he had a bit of a buzz going on. Carol, however, was still next to him, her arms curled around him, her head heavy on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at the way her hand was curled against his stomach. He loved it when she curled up against him like this, though tonight, her hand was a little lower than usual, and it wouldn't take much thought for him to be hard as a rock, and he knew that was a really fucking awful idea.

"Hey," he murmured, gently nudging her shoulder. "You sleepin'?"

"Huh-uh," she murmured, curling tighter against him, her body tensing as she yawned.

"You wanna go to bed?"

"Mmm, no," she yawned.

"You wanna drink some more?"

"Uh-uh."

"You…want me to put on the CATS soundtrack and do a striptease?"

"I'll get the dollars. You get the g-string and throw in a lap dance," she snorted, getting a laugh out of him.

"C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

"Daryl Dixon, I'm a lady you know," she murmured, raising her head from his shoulder, blinking sleepily at him with a smile that said that she was most certainly not drunk but was feeling awfully relaxed.

"Carol?" he asked, as she blinked a few times and stretched, wiggling her toes to get her blood flowing as she pried herself away from him.

"Yeah?"

"Can I take your picture?"

"What? No! I look awful."

"You're beautiful," he promised. "C'mon. I just need one more to bookend my portfolio."

"Don't you need pictures of sunsets, or, I don't know, bunnies going at it in the forest?"

"Hot," Daryl snorted. "I want my last picture to be somethin' special. Somethin' that means somethin'. You're my best friend, and you've got these crazy-beautiful eyes." Carol's smile faded for a second, and she shook her head.

"You're drunk."

"I ain't drunk. C'mon, brat. Just let me take your picture."

"Oh, fine," she chuckled. "Let me go fix my hair."

"Nope. You ain't fixin' a thing."

"Daryl!" she whined. "You better not be blowing this picture up and putting it in a gallery someday."

"Can't make no promises. You might just be my Mona Lisa."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she snorted with an eye roll, as Daryl stood up from the couch, grabbed her hand and yanked her up. "Alright, where do you want me?"

"In bed. Uh…on your bed. I need a picture of you in your natural environment." He stuttered over his words just enough that Carol pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows and thought good and hard about teasing him, but when she saw the blush in his cheeks, she thought otherwise.

"Fine. But the clothes are staying on."

"Holy shit, you agreed, even though you thought I might want nudes?" he asked. Carol shot him a look, and Daryl made a face, and they were laughing again, and it felt better than ever. "Alright, go get comfy. I'll get my camera." Carol retreated to her room, and she groaned when she realized she'd forgotten to make her bed that morning. She looked down at her fluffy slippers on her feet, and she took a peek in the mirror to see her hair was decent, but it could also pass as just-climbed-out-of-bed chic.

"You hate me, don't you?" she called, as Daryl stepped into the room. "I look like shit."

"You're perfect," he promised.

"Oh, I get it. You're shooting for House Frau Magazine, right?"

"Shut up. Get on the bed," Daryl ordered. Carol raised an eyebrow.

"You say that to all the girls, too?" She didn't know where all this flirting was coming from. Tonight, she was giving it just as good as Daryl usually did. When he said nothing, she gave in and plopped down on the foot of the bed, rumpled sheets be damned. "What do you want?"

"Just be natural."

"So, sleep?"

"You can tell a lot about somebody from a picture, you know," he pointed out. "Where they're looking, what they're looking at, if they're smiling, why they're not."

"Yeah?" she asked. "If I'm looking away from the camera?"

"Depends on what you're lookin' at," he said quietly, holding the camera up. Carol could hear the shutter clicking.

"Are you…Daryl!" The shutter kept snapping.

"This camera's kickass, but I gotta take like a hundred shots to get the perfect one." More snapping. "Just be natural." Her cheeks turned pink then, and she covered her face with her hands. "Now that ain't natural. You ain't _that_ shy."

"I look awful," she groaned. "This was a bad idea."

"You look awesome," he promised. She relaxed a little, and then she looked right at him. Not at the camera, but at him. Her eyes were on his, and she seemed to melt into the environment, hands resting on the bed, as she leaned back a little. Daryl paused then, and Carol's gaze faltered, and she blushed deeper, and then he started snapping again. Clearing his throat, he attempted to break the ice. "Now if you wanna flash a little boob, I wouldn't totally be against it."

"Fuck off," she snorted.

"That's my girl," he beamed. After about two or three more minutes, Daryl finally put his camera aside, and he flopped down next to her on the end of the bed. "Thanks for that."

"I'm sure there are lots of other girls that would be a lot more willing to pose for you," she pointed out.

"Oh, there are." She shoved his shoulder at that, and he laughed. "But I wanted you. You're my best friend. You know me. We just get each other, you know? It's the best relationship." Carol glanced at him. "I mean, for a photographer to have a subject that knows him like he knows her…it." He was fumbling again, and Carol smiled.

"Well, then, I'm honored," she said quietly. Daryl nudged her shoulder, and she nudged him back, and then he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Sighing softly, Carol closed her eyes at the feeling of his fingers brushing across her cheek. And then before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers, and his hands were framing her face, pulling her deeper for a more intimate kiss.

She didn't freeze this time. Instead, her body seemed to take over, hands moving up his chest before her arms were around his neck, and his hands were on her thighs and moving up her hips. He tasted like wine, and she sighed into the kiss, opening up at his tongue slid across her lips. And _God_ it felt like heaven.

She moaned against the kiss, shivering as his tongue stroked hers, as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer. And then it felt like the world fell out from under her as her back hit the mattress, and then he was crawling over her, never breaking the kiss as her legs opened instinctively, and he settled between them, hip to hip.

She gasped against his mouth when his hand moved to skim along her belly under her shirt, and then he broke the kiss, peppering kisses down her jaw and along her neck, and her fingers were twisting into the back of his t-shirt, holding on for dear life as every nerve ending in her body seemed to ignite.

And it was then, when her leg curled around his and his dick began to ache that he realized what was happening. Just as quickly as it had happened, he pulled back, but he was still locked between her legs, staring down at her, stunned.

"God, I'm sorry," he panted, pushing into the mattress and pulling his weight off of her. Her eyes flew open, and she quickly untangled herself from him as he sat up next to her on the bed. "M'sorry, Carol."

"It's…it's ok. You don't have to…" She sat up next to him, running her fingers through her hair.

"I wasn't thinkin', and I just…"

"Stop," she said quietly. "You don't have to apologize." She swallowed hard, blood still pulsing through her veins like lava. She placed her hand against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart as she fought with the lump in her throat and the burning sensation in her eyes. _Don't do this. You. Will. Not. Cry_. "Things have been…confusing. It's been a confusing couple of days."

"Yeah," he breathed, running his hand over his face, trying like hell to think about anything other than the fact that he was sitting on her bed with a budding erection, and this was the closest he'd ever gotten to his wildest dreams.

"Tomorrow. She leaves tomorrow," Carol said quietly. "And then things can go back to the way they were. Ok?" Daryl glanced at her, and their eyes met, and he could have sworn he saw a hint of disappointment in her gaze before she blinked and looked away, wringing her hands together in her lap. But there she went again, being all unreadable, and he wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

"That's…probably the best thing," he agreed, clearing his throat. "I just…"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I feel like this is my fault."

"It ain't. I'm the dumbass that answered your phone, remember? Don't worry about it." Carol frowned, and she watched him stand up. Her gaze followed him as he walked to the door.

"Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"We should tell her tomorrow."

"Nah, she's havin' a good time. We can wait like we planned. It's ok. I don't mind."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he promised, giving her his best positive smile. It came off more as 'guy in pain who probably has a hernia.'

"Daryl, are you ok?"

"M'fine. Just worried about you." He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fact that his dick was still hard and he was standing in her bedroom. And he knew she knew, because her gaze dropped a time or two. Then he turned and left, retreating to the safety of his bedroom, silently berating himself for his stupidity before taking matters into his own hands with her name on his lips and her face in his mind.

...

"Sweetheart? Are you alright?" Charlotte asked over the loud music at the small bar table. Of all the places they could have gone on Charlotte's last night in town, she wanted to go to a little hole-in-the-wall bar with a few pool tables and a little dance floor.

"Huh?" Carol asked, glancing up from her phone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just…distracted."

"What's going on? Your phone keeps ringing, and you keep dismissing your calls. Who's calling you?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes as Carol looked around for any sign of Daryl. He'd gone to the bathroom a couple of minutes ago. Carol sighed and turned her attention back to her mother.

"Ed. It's Ed. He's been calling me all day."

"Did you…did you talk to him?"

"Of course not. I never even had to change my phone number after we broke up, because he didn't bother calling or texting much. But now, it's like he knows something's going on."

"Maybe he senses that you're happy, and he realizes that he let something wonderful slip away," Charlotte offered. Carol made a face and looked down at her phone. Now there was a text. _Shit._ With the briefest glance, she read Ed's text.

CAROL, PLEASE CALL ME. I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. PLEASE.

And then Carol's lower lip trembled, and her gaze faltered. "You are happy, aren't you, sweetheart?" Carol pinched the bridge of her nose then, and it wasn't long before her eyes were filled with tears. "What's wrong? Honey, what's going on?"

"It's nothing," Carol lied. _Great. Now you're lying about your lie. You're in way past deep, now._

"Did something happen?" Charlotte asked. "Is everything alright with you and Daryl? I didn't want to say anything, but you seemed a little off today. Honey, what's going on?" Carol shook her head then, and she wiped at her eyes. She wasn't doing this today. "Look, don't be like me. Here I was fretting about your father, and last night, he calls me and tells me to get ready, because he's taking me somewhere tropical for our anniversary. I was worried for nothing! And I realized how silly I was being. He loves me. And you know what? Daryl loves you too. He loves you so much. You know that right?" Carol sniffled and nodded, though the pain hit her right in her gut. Pretending sucked today.

"I love Daryl," she said aloud. "I love him, Mom." And she wasn't pretending anymore. Charlotte patted her daughter's hand and leaned in to whisper.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" At that, Carol barked out a laugh and shook her head.

"No. God, no."

"Damn," Charlotte pouted. "Well, as long as that's settled, here he comes now. Go dance."

"We don't dance," Carol laughed.

"Perfect! I won't tell. Go on, now." Charlotte waved her off, but just that minute, someone else came up to the table.

"Well, fancy meeting you here," Michonne said with a grin.

"Mich!" Carol jumped up and gave her friend a hug, much to the bewilderment of Charlotte Mason. "You came!"

"Yeah, I drove all the way across town, got stopped by three traffic jams. Gotta love L.A."

"Mich, this is my mom, Charlotte Mason. Mom, this is one of my best friends. We work together. Michonne Daniels."

"Michonne, it's so nice to meet you. Carol's told me so much about you, I feel like I know you already." Michonne smiled and shook Charlotte's hand just as Daryl came walking up. And a slow song, some twangy country tune started blaring through the bar. "Oh, perfect! Michonne and I can chat, and the two of you can dance."

"Oh, this I have to see," Michonne snorted, getting an elbow in the ribs from Carol.

"Mom, we don't dance," Carol insisted once more.

"Nonsense. You two have barely had a chance to be together today with your old mom hanging around," Charlotte explained. "You go dance, and Michonne and I will talk." Carol glanced at Daryl, who gave her a confused shrug, and then she looked at Michonne who raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, sounds perfect," Michonne offered. Then, under her breath, she whispered to Carol, "am I gonna need a drink for this show?"

"Shut up," Carol whispered back. Michonne grinned and sat down next to Charlotte, while Carol turned to Daryl. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he looked down at his feet as if expecting them to know what to do. He looked so adorably clueless, standing there with his hair falling into his face and his hands stuffed into his pockets. With that, she grabbed her cell phone, turned it off and handed it to Michonne. Then she turned, grabbed Daryl's hand and led him toward the dance floor. Well, this could be an embarrassing disaster, but damn it, she could sense these moments were fleeting, and she wanted to enjoy every last one of them, even if they were pretend.

"You don't dance," Daryl pointed out.

"Neither do you," Carol laughed. "But we can look like idiots together, right?"

"That's what friends are for," Daryl replied with a chuckle, as they paused on the dance floor. "Seventh grade hands on the waist arms over the shoulders?"

"Sounds good," she replied with a bright smile, as the hot lights overhead brought her temperature up a couple of degrees. Well, that and the fact that he was putting his hands around her waist, and when she pulled her arms around his neck, she could smell his aftershave. He'd shaved. How hadn't she noticed that? Now all of her senses were on fire.

His hands tensed at her waist a little, and she cocked her head to the side as they swayed together. Looking into her eyes, it was like everything just melted away. He didn't really feel so stupid, but his palms felt clammy, and he felt a little dizzy.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For pretending with me. For being you. You're my best friend, Daryl." She smiled, and the light glimmered in her eyes.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for. Had fun pretendin' with you." He cleared his throat. "Really had fun pretend kissin' you." Carol laughed then, leaning her head forward for just a moment before she rested it against his chest. And he smelled so good, and her heart hurt, and all she wanted was to be kissing him again. His hands moved up her back, and she sighed, and even though the music was still playing, she could barely hear it over the sound of his heart against her ear.

She sighed, feeling as if she might melt into him. His hand skimmed up and down her back again, and she mustered up the courage to raise her head again.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?" His eyes were heavy, and his voice broke.

"Maybe we can pretend one more time," she offered, giving him a little smile. He chuckled then, and he cleared his throat, glancing over toward the table where Charlotte and Michonne were engaged in conversation and not even paying them a bit of attention. Daryl said nothing to Carol about it, however. He just smiled and chucked her chin, tilting her face up a bit more before he leaned down to press his lips against hers.

And this time, it was different, but it was amazing. It was him putting everything into that kiss, as if willing her to understand that nothing about what he felt for her was pretend. He was in love with her, and he couldn't deny that even if he wanted to.

He pulled back briefly, brushing his thumb over her lips, and she opened her eyes, searching his. She placed her hand on his chest, and he curled his fingers around hers, holding her hand there between them. And then she bridged the gap, kissing him with as much need as he'd put into his own. And neither of them noticed when the music changed or when the crowd thinned or when Michonne and Charlotte both looked over at the same time to see two people so wrapped up within another that they had no idea what was going on around them.

Michonne placed her hand to her chest, and she took a deep breath, feeling as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. She'd seen them kiss before, she'd seen them hug and touch each other, but she'd never seen them like this before.

"Are you alright?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm fine," Michonne said with a bright smile. "I'm just happy for them." Charlotte chuckled and nodded, and Michonne looked away, feeling as if she was intruding on a very intimate moment. And now, all she wanted to do was get Carol alone and grill her on what the hell was going on exactly, because something had changed, and the last thing she wanted was for either of her friends to walk away from this with a broken heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Paper Heart

Charlotte had taken a cab back to the hotel an hour ago, and Carol had walked her out, making her promise to call before she left in the morning. By the time she walked back inside, Michonne was putting her phone into her purse and getting ready to leave.

"You're going?" Carol asked with a disappointed frown.

"I have work tomorrow. Oh yeah, and so do you," Michonne said with a chuckle. Carol laughed and shrugged.

"Good point. We'll leave soon. Where's Daryl?"

"He said, and I quote, 'I gotta take a piss' and headed off toward the back."

"Lovely," Carol said with a grin.

"So, are you gonna tell me?"

"Tell me what?"

"What the hell was that out there?"

"What was what?"

"You guys were making out, groping each other."

"We weren't…weren't groping," Carol stuttered, feeling her face grow warm as Michonne folded her arms across her chest.

"Ok," Michonne said, taking a seat at the table again. "So what was it?"

"It was…I guess it was kind of a goodbye. A pretend breakup for a pretend relationship."

"Okay, stop," Michonne groaned. "You weren't pretending. Not for a second. You're totally in love with him."

"Well, it doesn't make a difference. He's just being a good friend."

"Oh my God," Michonne groaned, covering her face with her hand. "You're so blind. You're both so blind."

"What? Oh, come on. You know Daryl. He's just…Daryl."

"If you think he's just being Daryl and has absolutely no feelings for you, I don't think you know Daryl at all," Michonne pointed out. Carol sighed heavily and sat down across from Michonne.

"Look, I can't lose my friend. I can't. He means too much for me. If I put myself out there, and he really doesn't feel the same way, then I don't…I don't know what I'd do. And all of my past relationships…"

"Did you ever stop to think that all of your past relationships have failed, because the right one was sleeping right down the hall from you? Trust me. The way he's been looking at you, I know love when I see it. He loves you, Carol. You two just need to stop being so damned stubborn."

"But…"

"Uh-uh. Look, you're in love with him." Carol gave her friend a little nod. "And he loves you. He's been there for you. Hell, I sensed it even back when you were with Ed. You weren't happy, and Daryl was just..helpless."

"What?"

"You didn't see it? He tried to make himself scarce when Ed was around. I saw it with my own two eyes, you know. Ed would come over, and Daryl would just find some excuse to not be around."

"Well, he had dates of his own."

"Trust me, they didn't mean that much to him. You never saw any of them again, did you?" Carol cocked her head to the side, and she stared at Michonne.

"Mich, has Daryl talked to you about…about me?"

"Not about you specifically. Look, you guys are my friends, and I want you both happy, and I'm pretty sure the only way you're both going to be happy is if you just get over yourselves already and come clean." Carol raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to protest, but Michonne held a finger up. "I'm right. You know I'm right." Michonne slipped Carol her cell phone and stood up.

"I've really gotta go. We'll do lunch tomorrow, and you can tell me all about the amazing night you guys are going to have once you finally tell him how you feel." Carol made a face and folded her arms across her chest. "You're both so stubborn, so it's going to make for some really hot sex."

"Shut up," Carol laughed. "I hate you right now."

"No you don't." Michonne leaned down and gave her friend a quick hug. "I'm right. You know I'm right. And I _will_ be the one holding your bouquet at the wedding."

"Get out of here," Carol snorted.

"Love you," Michonne said with a grin.

"Love you back," Carol replied with an eye roll.

"See, it's not so hard to say those words, is it?" Michonne called over her shoulder before she disappeared out of the bar. With a sigh, Carol turned her cell phone back on and slid it into her pocket. She gathered up her things and started for the back of the bar, where a few groups were gathered around playing pool. Music seemed to blare louder back there, and the smell of booze and cheap cologne dragged at her senses like nails on a chalkboard. She groaned a little, eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Daryl. She didn't see him, so she passed through the crowd and to the back toward the bathroom.

When she was finished, she made her way back out into the crowded bar, and that was when she saw him by an empty pool table with some pretty brunette with long, straight hair and a short-cropped shirt that showed her belly. She wore short shorts and had impossibly long legs, and Carol couldn't help but feel a little unsettled as Daryl leaned forward, smiling as the girl touched his arm. And then she saw it. She saw the little piece of paper pass from the girl's hand to Daryl's. He unfolded it, refolded it and then tucked it in his shirt pocket. And then he brushed his hand over her shoulder, and the girl looked up at him like he'd just cured world hunger.

She hadn't meant to stare. She hadn't meant to stand there for as long as she had. And before she could further embarrass herself by letting him catch her staring, she turned and made a beeline for the front of the bar, paying the tab before retreating to Daryl's truck.

She sat there, head in her hands, trying to bite back the urge to cry or throw up, and that was when her phone rang. She groaned, digging her phone out of her pocket, and she sighed when she recognized the number.

 _No. Don't you dare. Don't you even dare._

She didn't really want to answer. But she really didn't want to sit there alone and think about how fucking _wrong_ she'd been to have a little bit of hope there at the end. It was her own fault for not stopping the charade before it started. It was her own fault for letting herself forget that Daryl was a big flirt, and this whole game had probably been fun for him as a man, but now it was time to get back to reality. It wasn't a bad thought against him. No. It's just the way it was. This back and forth, these missed opportunities, they'd been for a reason, and she saw that now. They weren't supposed to be together. They were supposed to be friends, and she had to resign herself to the fact that that was all they would ever be. No use waiting for something that would never happen.

She looked down at her phone again, and her hand trembled around it.

 _Don't. Don't even think about it!_

"Hello."

 _Oh my God._

"You answered."

"Ed, you need to stop calling me. You need to stop texting me." She sighed, when the line was quiet. "It's over, Ed."

"I miss you," he admitted.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. "But you have to stop. My mother told me you called her. You don't need to check up on me. You don't need to call me. We're over. It's done."

"Did you ever tell him?" Ed asked after a moment.

"What?"

"You broke up with me, because you were in love with Daryl. Did you ever tell him?"

"Does it matter?" Carol asked. "I ended things with us, because I couldn't love you the way you needed me to. It wasn't fair to either of us." A beat. "Ed?"

"Yeah."

"Was I...I mean, was I unfair to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I…I hope you don't feel like I was stringing you along."

"No," Ed replied quietly. "I knew you had feelings for him. I could just…see it. And I knew that you were trying to love me that same way. I knew for a while that you couldn't love me like that. I just hoped that you'd prove me wrong." Carol sighed softly and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry, Ed."

"Yeah. Me too," he said quietly. Then he chuckled. "I don't suppose you'd want to grab a coffee sometime, huh?"

"I don't think so, Ed," she said quietly.

"Yeah, didn't think so," he replied, clearing his throat. "Thanks for answering, anyway."

"Bye, Ed." She ended the call and stuffed her phone inside of her purse. A few moments later, Daryl came walking out of the bar alone, and Carol couldn't help but feel like her stomach was twisting into knots.

When Daryl climbed into the truck, he glanced at Carol before he put the key in the ignition.

"Looked all over for ya. Why didn't ya wait?"

"Oh, I had a phone call," Carol said quietly, folding her hands into her lap.

"Your mom get back to the hotel?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"Oh," Daryl said quietly, glancing at her briefly. Then he put the truck in drive and pulled out onto the street, heading toward home. "You wanna pick up somethin' to eat on the way home?"

"No. I'm not really hungry," she said quietly.

"You ok?"

"Hmm? I'm fine," she said with a shrug.

"And in girl-speak, that means you're pissed at me about somethin', so you wanna tell me what it is already instead of makin' me guess?" She couldn't help but smile, even though she wanted to scream.

"Shut up," she chuckled.

"See, alright, you ain't that mad."

"I'm not mad. I'm just…tired."

"And tired means you're kinda mad, but you don't wanna talk, 'cause you might cry."

"Stop," she groaned.

"C'mon. Did I do somethin'?"

"You…you didn't do anything." Daryl cleared his throat then, glanced at her and then he pulled over to the side of the road, throwing the truck into park. "Daryl? Come on. I want to go home, ok?"

"Is it 'cause I touched your ass?"

"No…you…what? You did?"

"Damn, and I thought that was my best move. You didn't notice?"

"Daryl," she chuckled. She sighed, shaking her head. How could she expect him to be anything other than himself? This was their relationship. They teased each other, they flirted, they were always there for each other, and most importantly, they could talk to each other better than they could anybody else. Except lately, apparently.

"You gonna tell me or not?" he asked, turning slightly in his seat. Carol sighed heavily and let her purse fall to the floorboard of the cab.

"If I promise to talk to you when we get home, will you just drive?"

"You'll tell me the truth?"

"I'll tell you the truth!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "Just drive, please?"

"See, I knew you couldn't keep it front me," he said with a nod. She chuckled anxiously, but as Daryl headed back toward home, she couldn't help but feel those knots in her stomach tighten and tug.

 _No more than I can keep it from myself._

...

Carol felt a little better when she slipped into a pair of black yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. She felt comfortable, and maybe feeling comfortable would help with this conversation. Still, she didn't know quite how to tell him what she had to tell him, and the closer the time came to talk to him, the more she regretted her promise. There was a lot on her mind. She didn't necessarily have to tell him _everything._

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. She was really becoming a fantastic liar.

When she stepped into the living room, Daryl was sitting on the edge of the couch, hands resting on his knees, feet tapping on the floor. He looked anxious, and Carol couldn't help but think he looked about how she felt inside. But the second he saw her, he stood up, starting for the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" she asked, keeping her voice even and light.

"We gonna need a drink for this?"

"No more drinks tonight," Carol chuckled. "Come sit down." She felt, for a moment, like she had left her body and was watching as a fly on the wall. She didn't feel like herself, and she hated it. Their relationship had always been fun and light, and even though she'd fallen harder for him than she'd ever thought possible, she didn't want to lose that fun friendship. That was part of why this terrified her so damned much.

She sat down first, and then he sat next to her. And she ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to figure out how to start.

"So you were kinda tense today."

"Well, after last night…"

"Oh," Daryl said quietly, clearing his throat. "Yeah. Last night was…" Carol eyed him, trying to gauge his reaction to her broaching the subject. "It was…I don't know what it was."

"Me neither," she admitted. "I think we've both gotten a little confused." She watched his expression fall.

"Oh," he said with a little nod. "Alright. So we should probably clear the air."

"Yeah," Carol agreed. She bit her lip, took a deep breath and went for it. "I talked to Ed tonight."

"You…you talked to Ed. Tonight?" Judging by the bewildered expression on his face and the way his brows crinkled, that was not what he was expecting to hear. "So Ed's back?"

"I didn't say that."

"Because I thought you said…you said you were done with him."

"I…"

"I mean, are you thinking about it? Is this whole pretendin' to be in a relationship to keep your mom out of your hair makin' you regret breakin' up with him?" His hands were moving now, like he was struggling to keep his composure. She hadn't seen him like this before, and she'd seen him in a lot of different moods.

"What?" Carol asked, feeling a little winded and dizzy at Daryl's sudden animated display of dismay. "You…you think I…"

"You didn't love him."

"No," Carol pointed out. "I didn't. I still don't. I won't ever."

"So why…why would you even…" He stood up, hands shoved into his pockets, and he was pacing now. Carol stood up, too, trying to figure out why the hell he had flown off the handle so fast. Michonne claimed that Daryl loved her, yet he was getting some girl's phone number at the bar. How the hell did he have any right to get mad about her taking a phone call from her ex, when he was the one that was getting phone numbers? Now she was pissed off.

"How is it any of your business?" she asked. Her hands flew to her hips, and she stood there, glaring at him. He paused, pushing his hair out of his face, and he stared at her, jaw dropping slightly.

"Christ, how is it my business? You're my best friend, and you won't _talk_ to me!" he hollered.

"Stop yelling at me! I don't know why you're so mad."

"I ain't yellin'!" he yelled. His shoulders slumped. "Fuck. I…I ain't yellin'." His voice was lower now, slightly less shaky.

"I don't know why you're so concerned with my love life. You seem to be focusing on your own just fine. Leave mine out of it." Her lower lip trembled, and she caught it between her teeth before he could notice that she was about to cry.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Daryl asked.

"Look, I get it," Carol said quietly, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. "We were just pretending, and now we can stop, because my mom's leaving in the morning, and this was just…something stupid. You were helping me, and now you don't have to anymore."

"What's goin' on?" he asked, stepping toward her, narrowing his eyes.

"That girl in the bar," she pointed out. "I saw you with her. You could have just…called me a cab, and I'd have understood. I mean, if you wanted to…"

"What girl at the bar?" he asked.

"The girl that gave you her phone number," Carol pointed out, eyebrows rising, as Daryl's face filled with recognition. And then he ran his palm over his face.

"Oh, that girl."

"Yeah. And I'm not…it's your life. Do what you want. I just…this is stupid."

"Are you…are you… _jealous_?" Daryl asked.

"What?" Carol scoffed. "Of course not. It's not like you owe me anything. It's not like you have to explain yourself to me, which apparently is _not_ the case for me." She turned quickly to head toward the back of the apartment.

"Where are you goin'?" he asked.

"I'm going to bed. I'm tired, and I'm pretty sure if I don't go to sleep right now, I'm going to say a lot of things I can't ever take back, so just let me—"

"Like what?" he challenged. Carol shook her head and stormed into her bedroom, but Daryl wasn't letting go that easily. "Like what, Carol?"

"Just leave me alone," she warned. "I'm not doing this."

"You promised you'd talk to me, so talk." He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms. Carol turned then, stalking right up to him.

"You kissed me like you meant it, ok? On the dance floor. You made such a good game out of pretending to care about me, and the way you kissed me, I almost believed it." Her eyes flashed with something he couldn't quite understand. "And then you go and pick up some girl not even twenty minutes after we…" She swallowed hard and threw her hands up. "It's stupid."

"So ya _were_ jealous."

"I…no…I wasn't…" Daryl raised an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Ok. Fine. I was a little jealous."

"Why?"

"Because…because I just…I don't know." She huffed and moved toward her window, closing her window blinds and shutting her curtains. She paused when she felt him step up behind her.

"Her name's Katie," he said quietly. "And I took pictures at her weddin' last year."

"Her…wedding?" Carol asked, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Yeah. Turns out, her sister's gettin' married and liked the pictures so much she wants me for her wedding. I told her I ain't really doing wedding pictures anymore, but she gave her number in case she changed her mind."

"So…what was with the touching."

"What?" Daryl asked, stifling a snort. Carol put her hand on his shoulder and moved it the way he'd touched Katie.

"Shit, I was buzzed, and she was pretty, but I wasn't lookin' for a date. You know me. I flirt. I flirt when I'm drunk. I flirt when I'm sober. It happens, but I wasn't tryin' to fuck her or anything. Christ," he muttered. Well, that was true. She'd seen him flirt with an 80 year old woman that came into his shop for an oil change once. It was Daryl. His flirting was harmless, and it had never bothered her, but now? Now that she was absolutely fucking in love with him, she felt like _that_ girl that gets her feathers ruffled every time her man looks twice at a pretty girl.

"Oh my God," Carol groaned. "I'm such an idiot." Daryl eyed her, and she chuckled. "You should just turn around and forget that this conversation ever happened. Please just…oh God, this is horrifying."

"Why?" he asked, taking another step toward her.

"Why?" she asked with a laugh. "Because all this time…all this time I've been trying to convince myself that things were a certain way, and I just…I just convinced myself that nothing would change. That I was supposed to suffer in silence."

"What the hell are you…"

"I'm in love with you!" she got out, feeling the knots in her stomach break as Daryl's eyes widened in surprise. "That's why I broke up with Ed, ok? Because I fucking love you, and I couldn't love him like that. And I thought things were going to change between us, but then you backed away that night at the hotel, and I thought maybe you were just being…you know… _you!_ I thought you were just flirting because you flirt, and that's why I never said anything."

"Wow," Daryl murmured quietly, running his hand through his hair. "You're right."

"What?"

"You are an idiot," he chuckled.

"Go to hell, Daryl," she spat.

"I'm an idiot, too." Carol swallowed hard then as Daryl took another step toward her. "I've fucking loved you since…forever." He took a deep breath, and it was Carol's turn to look surprised. "And you've been my best friend. I didn't know what to do or how to tell ya, so I was just me, and I thought maybe you'd change your mind someday. And I pulled away that night at the hotel, 'cause I didn't want to take advantage. I didn't wanna be the rebound guy, you know? I wanted ya to love me like I love you, and I just—"

The next thing he knew, her arms were wrapped around his neck, and she was kissing him like he'd never been kissed before, and the last thing he remembered before they fell back against the bed was her whispering two words against his lips.

 _"Thank you."_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Good Morning

Carol moaned softly, stretching as she woke, feeling the tickle of breath on the back of her neck, the warmth of a strong hand tucked under her shirt and pressed against her belly. She froze for a moment, barely breathing, and she slowly opened her eyes to a relatively dark room. She glanced at the clock to find that it was only half-past five, and she didn't have to be at work until eight.

The moment her memories came flooding back to the night before, she dipped her hand beneath the covers to find she was still fully clothed, and a quick and gentle pat to his leg found Daryl still wearing his pants. To say she was relieved was an understatement. They'd been getting pretty hot and heavy, kissing and groping one another, Carol distinctly remembered some on top of the clothes action and grinding against a substantial erection, and the thought of it had a fire stirring in her belly.

And even now, she could feel him against her back. She couldn't help bit bite her lip and grin. It had been a long while since she'd woken up with someone, and to wake up with Daryl in _that_ state was altogether different territory. Certainly not in a bad way, though.

She relaxed, closing her eyes and letting herself relax against him. His breathing was slow and steady, and his chest rose and fell against her back. She felt his arm tighten around her just a little as he took a deep breath. This was nice.

She lay there for a while, feeling his chest rising and falling against her back, gently strumming her fingers against the hand that was pressed against her belly. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. For the first time in a while, she felt like everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

When six o'clock rolled around, Carol was starting to get antsy. She knew she should get up and shower soon, but mostly, she wanted to lay there with him and forget about work. But she was supposed to be a responsible adult, so she slowly began to pry herself out of his arms, hoping she wouldn't wake him, because while waking him would almost certainly lead to some spectacular morning sex, she didn't want their first time to have a time limit. She didn't want to rush.

She managed to wriggle out from under his arm and scoot off of her bed, and by the time she was standing, she desperately had to pee, but not before she turned and cast a glance back and Daryl who was still sound asleep snuggled under her fluffy purple bedspread. She couldn't help but grin at the sight of him, arm flopped over onto her side of the bed, hair swept down into his eyes as he sighed heavily in his sleep.

She carefully grabbed an outfit for work, and she made quick work of showering and brushing her teeth. By the time she walked out of the bathroom, she could hear the bedsprings creaking as Daryl moved about. With a nervous smile, she bit her lip and padded back down the hall to find Daryl on his back, rubbing his eyes and yawning. It was almost six forty-five.

"You sleep like a rock," Carol said with a little laugh, stepping into her room. Daryl blinked sleepily at her before meeting her gaze and giving her a tired smile.

"Hey," he croaked, voice gravelly and thick with sleep. "You been up a while?"

"I had to get ready for work," she said softly. "You still have some time, though." Daryl sat up in the bed and blinked at the clock.

"Shit. You gotta work today?"

"Yeah, it's Monday," she laughed. She stepped closer to the bed, a risk she was quickly left reconsidering, but it was too late, because he reached out and grabbed her around the middle and yanked her into the bed. She landed in his lap, and it was unmistakable that he was sporting a case of morning wood. She shifted in his lap, pretending not to notice, and she wound her arms around his neck.

"I'm not kissing you," she laughed.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Morning breath," she teased.

"Lies. I ain't got mornin' breath."

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, Pookie, but somebody lied."

"Who says we gotta kiss to have a little fun, anyway?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he used his upper body strength to lift her off of his lap and flip her onto her back. At her look of shock, followed by the way she crinkled her nose and pouted, Daryl smirked and kissed the hollow of her throat before lifting himself up off the bed.

"Where are you going?" she protested, reaching for his hand.

"Thought you didn't wanna kiss me?"

"Thought there were other things we could do besides kissing?" she reminded him.

"I'll be right back," he chuckled. "Don't move." When he got to the doorway, he turned to look at her, and she smiled before he turned away.

She let her head fall back against the pillow and seriously considered calling in, but there was no way she could do that to Dale or to Michonne, especially on a Monday when they'd been so busy lately.

It wasn't long before Daryl returned, springing toward the bed and crawling over her.

"Mornin'," he murmured before leaning down to kiss her, long and deep, and she sighed against his mouth.

"Mmm, minty fresh," she said softly when he pulled back. "Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"I would have kissed you anyway. I was just teasing." Daryl snorted and buried his face against her neck, and she slowly ran her fingers along his neck, relishing the way it felt to have his weight on top of her.

"You really gotta go to work?" he asked, hand skimming up and down her ribcage through her shirt.

"I can take a long, long lunch," she offered, grinning up at him before arching up to kiss him. She frowned when she pulled back. "Actually, I can't. I have to take a _short_ lunch. Deadlines."

"It's hot that my girlfriend has deadlines," Daryl teased, kissing her on the nose.

"Is that what I am?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as her curls spilled out, framing her face on the pillow. Daryl paused for a moment, looking down at her, seeing the bright blue of her eyes glimmering with happiness, and his heart swelled. He hadn't felt this happy in so long, and the few moments he could count on one hand that he'd ever felt this way had always been in her presence, because no matter how shitty of a time he was having, he would always feel better just being with her.

"Dunno," he offered with a shrug. "What do we do, now, anyway? We live together. We already know each other. The first date would be like…"

"The fiftieth," Carol offered with a laugh.

"Right," he chuckled. He leaned in, kissing her softly, sucking her lower lip between his teeth, nipping gently before she ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled back then, looking pensive, and Carol smiled.

"Where are you?" she asked softly.

"M'right here," he promised. "And we'll have our first date. Everybody's gotta have a real first date."

"You're sure, 'cause I don't put out on the first date. Usually," Carol teased.

"Alright, we can call it a second date," he chuckled before kissing her again. She laughed then, opening up to him, savoring the delicious taste of him, the way his touch made her feel like warm, squishy jelly on the inside.

"Are you disappointed?" she asked softly after a moment.

"What're you talkin' about?" he asked, nuzzling her cheek before kissing her again.

"That we didn't…that it didn't go any further than it did last night?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, my ego deflated faster than a popped balloon," he teased.

"Jerk," she said with a grin as he snorted out a laugh. "I don't wanna mess this up."

"Me neither," he agreed. "I can wait. I've fantasized about fucking you for years. I can wait a little longer."

"Oh my God," Carol groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"What? We're not pretendin' anymore. Just bein' honest."

"Oh God," Carol snorted, shoulders shaking as she laughed. Daryl gently tugged at her wrists, pulling her hands from her face. "I don't think I'm ready to hear all these things."

"Is it weird?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted. "But I can't say I haven't had the same thoughts myself." She bit her lip when Daryl's grin widened.

"So all those times I suggested we screw around, I really coulda got laid?"

"Oh, you have no idea how much you could have gotten laid," Carol replied with a laugh. "Now don't let that go to your head." Daryl raised an eyebrow, reached down between them and patted his crotch.

"Too late," he replied.

"Oh my God, are you twelve?"

"Inches." Carol nearly choked then, and her nose crinkled as she laughed.

"I hate you."

"No you don't," he replied, dipping down to kiss her neck again. She sighed then, closing her eyes as he nudged his knee between her legs, and she let a soft moan escape.

"No, I really don't," she murmured. And just as he was beginning to tug at the hem of her shirt, her cell phone began to ring from somewhere in the living room, bringing her back to reality. "That's probably Mom calling from the airport."

"Mom'll understand," he offered. Carol laughed then, pushing at his shoulders.

"Alright, alright," she laughed. "I _really_ have to go. I'll be late for work. And _you_ still need a shower."

"You wanna go on a date with me tonight?" he asked, rolling off of her so she could sit up and slide off the bed.

"I'll have to check my schedule," she replied, before he tugged her back down on the bed. She yelped, falling into his lap, and she sighed against his lips when he pulled her in for a hungry kiss.

He was like a drug. She couldn't get enough. And the idea that he wanted her the way she wanted him was exciting. Empowering. And _God_ , he was such a good kisser. It wasn't until he finally let go of her and broke the kiss that she felt her dizzying senses steady, and she came crashing back to Earth. Now every molecule in her body seemed to be charged with this intense hunger, this need for Daryl that she couldn't deny.

When she stood up, her legs were shaky, and she felt as if her heart might beat out of her chest. She watched as Daryl got up off the bed and started tugging at the band of his sweats, and she couldn't take her eyes off of the way his muscles flexed as he walked across the room.

"You stayin' for the show?" he asked, turning in her door way, pants riding low enough that she had the blessing of seeing the light trail of hair below his naval trailing down toward his groin. The V of his hips was so tantalizing she had to mentally stop herself from dropping to her knees and biting his hip bone.

 _Pull it together, Carol. Damn._

"You wish," she replied, making a face as he turned to head to the bathroom. "See you tonight?"

"I'll meet you after work."

"Sounds good," Carol replied. She passed one last lingering gaze over his sculpted torso before she used all the energy she could muster to turn and walk down the hallway and to the living room to gather her purse and her phone. The second she stepped into the hallway outside the front door, she wished with everything she had that she could turn around and go back in to be with him. But that would have to wait.

With a reluctant sigh, she headed outside to her car, hoping she could keep it together long enough to get through another stressful Monday.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: No Hurry

"So what happened?" Michonne had practically run down the hallway after clocking out for lunch. She shut the door to the break room, and Carol looked around in bewilderment.

"What?"

"Don't play that game with me, Carol," Michonne warned. "So, what went down last night?"

"What makes you think anything happened?" Carol asked, quirking an eyebrow despite the blush that filled her cheeks.

"Oh, something happened. I knew it!" Michonne laughed, slapping her hands together. "Alright, so, spill."

"Can I…can I finish pouring my coffee first?" Carol asked with a laugh.

"Pour away," Michonne offered, moving to sit down at the table by the window. When Carol joined her, she tapped her fingers on the table. "Alright?"

"Nothing happened," Carol said with a shrug.

"Nothing?"

"Well, not nothing," Carol replied, pursing her lips and blowing gently over the top of her steaming mug. "Ed called me."

"Oh Jesus," Michonne muttered, glancing skyward. "Tell me you didn't…"

"I put an end to it. I think Ed realizes things are over between us."

"Well, hallelujah. And what else?"

"Daryl got a girl's phone number, we went home, and we fought."

"Wait, what?!"

"Well, I got the wrong idea. I guess the girl wanted him to shoot pictures at her sister's wedding, and I guess the green-eyed monster came out."

"Oh God. Well, what happened?"

"Well, we basically argued in the truck and then we argued some more when we got home. And then I just told him, because at that point, what the hell did I have to lose?" Carol shrugged her shoulders. "So I told him that I love him and that the reason I broke things off with Ed was because I couldn't love him like that. Believe me, I felt like an idiot at this point."

"And then?"

"Then?" Carol asked with a little smile. "Then he told me I _am_ an idiot and that he loves me, too. He's loved me all this time."

"That might be the most romantic thing I've ever heard." Michonne propped her chin in her hand. "So…you told each other you loved each other, and then…nothing?"

"Not nothing," Carol murmured, blushing. "We, uh, we messed around a little."

"So, am I booking the country club for a spring wedding?" Michonne teased.

"Oh, don't start," Carol laughed. "We're testing the waters here. We're just…this is so new and different."

"But it's good. Oh, it's so good," Michonne murmured, a wide smile spreading over her face. "I haven't seen you this happy in…well, as long as I've known you, so this is great."

"I am happy. I'm excited. I'm…" Her shoulders slumped a little as she put her coffee mug down. "I'm nervous."

"I get that. You can love each other all day long, but sex is…a big step," Michonne said with a nod. "I mean, you've got compatibility to consider. What if the first time is really bad? Oh God, what if he's got some weird move that you don't…"

"Ok, stop!" Carol begged. "Oh God, please stop."

"I'm sorry," Michonne offered. "I'll stop freaking you out."

"Thanks."

"Hey, I really am happy for you. You two deserve this. You deserve to be happy. And if you don't ask me to be your maid of honor, I _do_ hold grudges. Just saying."

"Duly noted," Carol chuckled. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I just want to enjoy this. I don't want to rush anything."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. It took you _how_ long to tell the man you love him?" Carol couldn't help but smile, and then they settled in to enjoy the rest of their lunch hour chatting excitedly about this latest development.

...

"Hey you." Daryl couldn't help but light up the second he heard her voice on the phone.

"Hey yourself," he murmured. "You workin' hard?"

"Yeah. But I have a few minutes. What's up?"

"I have some news," Daryl offered.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I, uh, finished my portfolio. Went down on my lunch break to develop those pictures I took the other night, and I had a really good one of you."

"Oh, you really don't have to use me in your portfolio," Carol chuckled. "It's sweet, though."

"It's a great picture, and it's one of my favorite candids. I'm, uh, I'm sending it in to a few magazines."

"Daryl, that's great! We'll have to celebrate."

"Well, there ain't nothin' to celebrate yet. But I wanted to let ya know. If it wasn't for you, I probably woulda sold my camera years ago. You're the one that inspired me, ya know?"

"Daryl…I don't know what to say," Carol said softly. "Just that I love you."

"I love you, too," he murmured softly. Saying it aloud felt better and better, and he couldn't get enough of hearing the way her voice brightened when she said those words, too. "I'll let ya get back to work. I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok. Hey, I don't really want to go out tonight. We can stay in and watch movies."

"Damn, there go my plans," he chuckled.

"You made plans?"

"Kinda. We can go out for a little while, and then we'll go home. That alright?"

"That's ok," Carol chuckled. "I'm intrigued now. Do I get a hint?"

"No. Where's the fun in that?"

"Alright. Later, jerk."

"Love you, brat." Daryl chuckled as he put his phone away and headed back out into the shop.

"You marry that girl yet?" Daryl watched as Axel rolled out from under one of the cars.

"What?"

"You need to marry that girl before some other fella comes along to take her away. You follow me?"

"I follow ya," Daryl chuckled. "Trust me. I'm gonna marry her someday. I'm done bein' stupid."

"Glad to hear it. You gonna get any work done today, or are you gonna keep on walkin' 'round with your head in the clouds?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it," Daryl snorted, tossing an oily rag at Axel. "You just worry about that leak you've been workin' on for the past three hours."

"Hey, when I'm done, she'll be a thing of beauty," Axel retorted with a wink. "No hurry at all." Daryl shook his head and slid under the back of an old Buick with a faulty gas line.

"Nope. No hurry at all."

...

"That might be the best cheesecake I've ever had," Carol moaned, as she closed the front door and leaned back against it. "I mean, orgasmic."

"It was pretty good," he replied with a nod.

Daryl had surprised her with a romantic dessert dinner at a little bakery down the street. Carol couldn't remember a time when she'd had better cheesecake. The place was run by a lady named Irma, and Carol was pretty sure that her graham cracker crust was sent straight from heaven.

"I can't believe we've lived down the street from that little bakery all this time and have never been there," Carol said with a smile. "I have a new favorite, which is bad, because I could easily gain half of my body weight just by eating cheesecake."

"S'alright. More of you to love."

"Oh, you're sweet," Carol chuckled. "That was nice, Daryl. Thank you for taking me. Now can I put on sweats and let my hair down, because I'm about ready to keel over."

"Go get comfortable. Don't gotta wear nothin' if you don't want to."

"Nice try. I don't think so," Carol snorted. "I'll be back." Daryl watched her walk away, and he couldn't help but let his gaze wander down to her ass and down her long legs. She was gorgeous, and she didn't even try. She just exuded this wild beauty unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

Daryl retreated to his room, tugging off his clothes and slipping into a pair of sweats. He was about to grab for a shirt, when he decided against it, smirking as he considered driving her wild, pushing her to the brink, seeing how far she'd go. But at the same time, he wanted her to take the lead on this. He wanted her to be comfortable.

But there was no denying that he craved her, he wanted her, and just the thought of kissing her, of touching her the way he'd touched her this morning had him getting hard within moments.

 _Breathe, dumbass. You're not getting laid tonight, so calm the fuck down._

He sat down on the edge of his bed, and he ran his fingers through his hair, clearing his throat as he fought desperately to not think about her getting naked in her room. He could only imagine what she looked like under all those clothes, but he sure knew what she felt like, and she was everything he'd ever imagined or wanted.

"Daryl? You coming?" called sweetly from the hallway. Daryl hopped up from the bed, feeling a little more relaxed now, a little less excited, but he knew it wouldn't take much, just a glance or a touch from her to get his blood boiling again.

"Yeah," he called, crossing the room and opening the door to find her standing there in what wasn't a pair of sweats but an oversized t-shirt that went halfway down her thighs. And that was it. "Christ, I feel overdressed." Carol grinned and let her gaze wander down his chest.

"I think we're about even," she teased. "You've been working out?"

"Nope. It's my natural physique."

"You're such a liar," she snorted, stepping toward him, placing her hand against his chest. Her touch was the match that set his blood on fire, and he sucked in a sharp breath as his body threatened to respond to her in very obvious ways.

"So…movie and booze?" he offered. Carol shook her head, biting her lip as she took another step closer to him. He swallowed hard. "You wanna…hang out in here?"

"I like that idea," she said with a nod, moving her hand up his arm, curling both arms around his neck as he pulled her flush against him.

"I like that idea, too," he offered before Carol was kissing him, and his hands were moving down her waist, inching the long t-shirt up her legs just enough that he could move his hand over her ass, giving her a squeeze and getting a giggle out of her.

"You don't play fair."

"What's fair? You showed up at my door in a t-shirt."

"Oh, we're playing that game?" she asked. "Ok." She let go of him then, and he took a step toward his bed, before she gently pushed at his chest, sending him down onto the mattress. He swallowed hard, scooting up to sit at the head of the bed with his back against the wall.

"Christ," he murmured, as she moved to crawl over him, straddling his lap with her knees on either side of his hips. His hands were on her waist now, and she was moving toward him, her curly brown hair spilling down over her slender shoulders, and he could smell the sweet scent of her, feel the heat from her skin, and it was all overpowering, and his head was spinning.

She kissed him then, all soft and warm before she slid her tongue against his lips, and he opened up to her, kissing her fully, hungrily.

"We doin' this?" he asked carefully when she pulled back. "We can wait like ya wanted to."

"We'll…see where things go," Carol offered. "I just…I think I've psyched myself up for this. I've thought about it so many times. I just…I'm…I just want it to be…"

"Perfect," he finished for her. "I know." They laughed together then, and she rested her forehead against his. "No surprises."

"Oh, surprises can be very good," she offered, bolding moving her hand down his chest to cup his groin. His hips jumped then, and he nearly choked on his own tongue.

"Fuck," he hissed out.

" _Very_ good."

"You're evil," he groaned, and she grinned wider. "That's a surprise."

"Oh, we're just getting started, Buttercup," Carol chuckled, kissing him again. "I'm full of surprises."

"I might have a few up my sleeve, too," he replied, as Carol cocked an eyebrow.

"Alright," she said with a little nod. "We probably need to talk about a couple things. Hot, right?" Daryl snorted at that. "But I think it's important."

"Alright," Daryl offered. "Whaddya wanna know?"

"These girls…the last few girls you were with?"

"Used a condom every time. Got checked out a couple months ago for a rash." Carol's face fell slightly, and Daryl gently rubbed her back. "Don't worry. It was just a rash. Cleared up with some cream in a couple days. Sure scared the hell outta me. Thought it was gonna fall off or somethin'."

"That would be bad," Carol laughed.

"So if you're askin' if I'm clean, I'm clean." He leaned in to kiss her again, and Carol put her hand against his chest.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"I…well, I…" Carol raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

"I'm not the Virgin Mary, you know. Ed's not the only guy I've been with."

"I know, I just…I mean, I _don't_ know. I just…"

"You won't offend me. Come on. Try me."

"You…you've been checked out since Ed?"

"I'm clean," she offered. "I'm not on the pill. It makes me sick. I've tried various kinds, and I just don't respond well to them. So I hope you don't mind condoms."

"I got a whole drawer full," he offered. "Pick a color."

"Whoa, stud," she laughed. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her curly hair. "I'm a little nervous."

"I'm a lot nervous," he admitted. "It's… _you_."

"It's _us_ ," Carol said with a nod.

"I don't wanna fuck this up."

"Neither do I," she said quietly, hands trembling as she gripped his shoulders. Then her head fell forward and she chuckled. "God, I don't know what's wrong with me. It's just sex." She took a deep breath, and Daryl shook his head, placing his hand gently against her face, cupping her cheek.

"It ain't just sex, sweetheart," he murmured. "Not with us." At that point, Carol was most certain that she'd found the perfect conditions for spontaneous combustion, because she was pretty sure her entire heart had just exploded. "And we ain't havin' sex tonight."

"We're not?"

"Nope. No matter how much you beg for it."

"You're such an ass," she snorted, slapping his chest. "And just what kind of tricks do you have up your sleeve, Daryl Dixon?"

"You'll see," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. And without further notice, he was raising her arms up and sliding her nightgown over her arms. She gasped and shivered the second her bare breasts were exposed to the cool air and to him, and her first instinct was to cross her arms across her chest, but Daryl's approving gaze was more than enough to tell her she had nothing to hide from.

"Are we playing 'tit for tat' here, because it's your turn," Carol said with a laugh.

"Nope," he replied with a chuckle as his hand slid down her back and over her ass. "These are gonna have to go, though." He tucked his fingers into the elastic of her panties, and she bit her lip. "You trust me?" She nodded her head, and she looked skyward for a moment, and he could see the tears in her eyes.

"More than anybody," she said softly.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he murmured, threading his fingers through her hair and pulling her against him, crushing her chest to his, kissing her softly, lovingly before he shifted his weight and lay her back against the mattress. He crawled over her, taking his time, kissing her lips, her jaw, her neck. And then his mouth was on her breast, and her eyes flew open, and her hands dug into his hair, and then he began to move, hands gripping her hips and beginning to tug at her panties as he moved lower.

"Wait! What…what are you doing?" she gasped, arching up as he kissed her stomach.

"What's it look like?" he teased. "You ok?" She nodded her head and felt like the world was going to spin out from under her. "Lay back, sweetheart. We got all night."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Cold Shower

Her legs shook when he slid her panties down her legs, stripping her of her last bit of clothing. She had the sudden urge to cover up, but his hands moved from her ankles up to her thighs and then he spread her out before him, settling between her legs on the mattress.

She closed her eyes then, leaning her head back against the pillow as her stomach muscles jumped and every bit of her felt like she was about to fly off the bed and onto the ceiling, and he hadn't even touched her _there_ yet.

She covered her face with her hands, needing to feel something tangible, needing to ground herself as she felt his breath skim against her inner thigh. She gasped then and bit down on her lower lip the moment he touched her, fingers and mouth working in tandem, stoking the flames that roiled below the surface of her skin.

"Oh God," she panted, sliding her fingers back through her hair, tugging just enough to bring herself back to reality. And then she looked down, looked at him, and his eyes were locked on hers as he loved her, and she could feel the flush spread across her face and her chest, and her entire body seemed to be balanced on a precipice, somewhere between solid ground and free falling into an abyss.

It was really happening. His hands on her, his mouth against her center, his tongue and lips teasing her folds and that sweet little nub, his eyes locked on hers, a tiger devouring his prey. Her body tensed and gave way to the trembling rush that spread through her veins. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and her fingers flexed as she brought them down her chest and lower, threading them through Daryl's hair.

She whimpered softly, willing herself to hold on as he sucked and nipped at her, using his tongue and fingers to bring out something inside of her she hadn't felt in far too long. As the blood simmered below her skin, she felt an awakening, as if a part of her had been sleeping for far too long. Now she'd had a taste, and she wanted more. She never wanted him to stop.

He worked his fingers inside of her. First one, and then two. And when she arched back, hands grasping at his hair, he knew he'd found that sweet little spot, so he focused there while teasing her clit with his tongue, and this was what sent her tumbling over the edge, gasping for breath as stars burst behind her eyes.

And then reality set in, and she gasped softly, cheeks reddening as Daryl placed a kiss to the patch of flesh beneath her belly button. His chin was slick with her fluids, and he was sucking his fingers clean, each one coming from his lips with a resounding pop.

"Oh my God," Carol murmured. "I've never…I mean, that was…oh my _God,_ where did you learn how to do that? Wait, I don't know if I wanna know." She covered her face with her hands, and that was when the euphoria kicked in, and she laughed as Daryl kissed her stomach and crawled up her body to lie at her side.

"Gotta make it a work of art, but I never had a better canvas." He wiggled his brows at her, and she snorted, shoulders shaking with her laughter.

"That line must have gotten you laid a dozen times," Carol snorted, as Daryl slipped his hand against her ribs, just under her breast.

"I got a million of 'em. Did it hurt?"

"What?"

"When you fell from Heaven?"

"Oh God," Carol snorted. "That's an old one." She threw her arms around Daryl's neck as he settled against her. He nuzzled her neck before sucking at her collarbone. "You realize that was still sex, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"So much for that no putting out rule."

"You disappointed?"

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "I hope all of our dates end like this one did."

"I'd be alright with that," he replied with a smirk. "Maybe next time we can bring out the whips and handcuffs." At Carol's look, he smirked. "Too soon?"

"Shut up," she laughed. "Kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am." And his kissed her, his face still slick and sticky, but she didn't care. She reveled in the feel of his warm kiss, the feel of his calloused hand against her breast, the way her heartbeat began to slow as she sunk into the kiss, letting him take control. And his hand began to move lower, stroking between her legs, and she began to squirm, moaning against his mouth as she spread her legs and let him explore her again.

She was slick and hot, and the moment he plunged two fingers inside of her again, she cried out against his lips, and he pulled back.

"I hurt you?"

"No," she promised, reaching down to curl her fingers around his wrist, holding him between her thighs. "Please don't stop." He nodded then, kissing her again, bringing her over within a matter of minutes with only his fingers. And God, what a beautiful sight she was when she came.

He pulled back to watch her when she soared. Her head fell back, curls spilling out like a beautiful halo as her mouth fell open in a silent cry. And when he stopped touching her, her eyes fluttered open, and she met him again for a hungry kiss.

"I think created a monster," he teased against her lips, as she gathered up the strength in her wobbly limbs to push him onto his back and straddle his lap. His dick was hard and straining against his pants, and Carol reached down to cup him, eyes glittering with delight when he groaned and bucked his hips against her hand.

Then, as fast as she'd straddled him, she hopped off of him and got up off the bed.

"Where you goin'?"

"Stand up," she ordered.

"What?"

"Just do it. Please?" she asked, becoming increasingly more aware that she was standing in the middle of his bedroom wearing absolutely nothing.

He stood then, standing awkwardly next to his bed, and that was when Carol moved forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him firmly, passionately. And then her hand was snaking down his pants, and he groaned into her mouth when she curled her fingers around him. She smiled in satisfaction against the kiss as she began to stroke his length. And then his hand was on her wrist, stilling her.

"Wait. Thought this night was about you," he pointed out, reminding her of his plans for their evening. She smiled then, and she began to kiss his neck. Then she was moving down, kissing down his chest and his stomach as she fell to her knees.

"Trust me," she said with a smirk, glancing at the tent in his pants. "I want you to feel good, too." And if he'd been any closer to the edge at that point, the look of pure lust in her eyes would have had him coming in that instant.

She untied the drawstring on his pants, letting them fall a little looser against his hips, and that was when her tongue darted out, and she wet her lips before leaning forward, gently sinking her teeth into his hip, just enough to let him know she was there and she meant business. And then he thrust forward, and his dick brushed against her cheek through the fabric of his pants.

And with a quick motion, she brought his pants down his legs, and he kicked out of them. He stared down at her staring at his dick, and without hesitation, she wrapped her hand around it and began to pump him, slowly and evenly. Then she stopped, putting her hand on his stomach and urging him to sit down on the edge of the bed, which he did willingly and without hesitation.

She scooted up against the side of the bed, resting one hand on his inner thigh, rubbing it as she stroked him with her other hand. The way her pretty pink mouth lips glistened just before she flicked the head with her tongue was a thing of beauty.

This wasn't her thing. Ed had wanted it more than anything. He liked getting head more than he liked having sex, and she never enjoyed it. But she wanted him to feel good, too, and Ed had always touted her skills when they were alone together, which she thought was strange.

She hesitated for a moment, flinching, and she pushed Ed out of her mind altogether. The last thing she wanted when she was learning everything there was left to know about this amazing man she'd fallen so deeply for was to have memories of Ed come crawling back.

"You don't gotta do this," he offered, reaching down to cup her cheek in his hand. She just looked up at him with those bright eyes, and she leaned forward, taking him into her mouth, teasing him and touching him in ways that made the muscles in his stomach jump.

She took her time with him, as he'd done for her, exploring him, getting to know the things he liked, the things that made his knees start to buckle and his hips jump. She teased him, making a point to tease his balls as she worked him over.

Her gaze kept shifting up to his, not out of boldness but out of necessity. She needed to know this was good for him, and from the way his head fell forward and his hair fell into his eyes, the way his eyes screwed shut and his mouth hung open as he panted, she figured she was doing alright.

Her hand moved around to squeeze his ass, and his eyes flew open. She grinned around him and took him deeper, and that was when his hand came to her head.

"I'm gonna…oh, _fuck."_ She'd never liked this part. Never. And she pulled back, and his hand came to his cock. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Carol crawled onto the bed behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he worked himself over. She kissed the back of his neck, nipped at his earlobe, and then he turned his head and met her with a kiss just before he came, shooting all over his chest.

It wasn't until it was over that he realized he'd gotten some on her hand, and he groaned.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"Don't be sorry about that," she chuckled. "I've heard you doing this alone in your room countless times." She kissed his neck. "I always wanted to watch."

"Shit," he breathed, resting his forehead against hers before he grabbed a couple of tissues to clean up with. He handed her one, and she thanked him with a kiss before they crawled under the covers together, him holding her, her holding him, and with a sleepy smile, Carol leaned in close and whispered against his kiss.

"The second date has a lot to live up to." He snorted at that, and they laughed together, and it wasn't too long before she was fast asleep with her head against his chest and his hand against her heart.

...

Daryl was the first to wake, much to his surprise, and it was all he could do to slide out of bed without waking her. She looked so damned beautiful, even in her sleep with her head half buried under the covers and her hair sticking up in every which way.

He made a mental note to make her breakfast before she left for work, but first, he needed a long, hot shower.

So he made his way down to the bathroom, took a piss, brushed his teeth and turned on the shower to let the stream heat up. He ran his hand over his face and decided it was probably a good idea to shave. So he lathered up, and made quick and careful work of smoothing over his rough chin and lip, and then he stepped into the shower, turning his freshly shaven face up into the stream. He sighed, leaning against the wall, sliding the soap all over his body as the water stung and drenched his scalp.

It wasn't until after he'd washed his hair that he heard the bathroom door click, followed by the toilet seat clinking. He cringed, realizing he forgot to put the seat down, but if she minded, she didn't say a thing.

"Carol?"

"Who else? I'm sorry, Daryl, but I really had to pee."

"That's ok," he chuckled.

"You save me any hot water?"

"Uh…you might wanna get in here, just in case."

"Daryl," she groaned. "I should have set my alarm." He heard the toilet flush, and he quickly stepped away from the stream as it ran temporarily cold.

"Get in here. C'mon. I'll wash your back."

"I don't usually have showers with a guy after the first date," she teased, as he opened up the stall door.

"Yeah, and you don't give blowjobs or get the best oral sex of your life on the first date, either, huh?"

"The best? Oh, somebody's getting cocky."

"Nope, just know what I know." He wiggled his brows at her, and she rolled her eyes, tossing him a fresh wash cloth as she slipped into the shower. "I can get those hard to reach places."

"Oh, I bet you can," she laughed, as he kissed her shoulder and pressed up behind her, already getting hard. She turned in his arms, kissing him as she reached to put her hand around his dick. He was thick and long. Not too big, but enough to cause her to take a moment to breathe.

He lifted her leg then, holding her behind the knee, draping her along his hip. She gasped when he pressed against her cleft, slick and hard, sliding against her. She knew he was teasing, that he wasn't really going to slip inside, but she was wet and throbbing, and it would have been so easy to shift just slightly and help him ease right in. But she just focused on kissing him, focused on how the fire that burned in her belly was starting to spread and get out of control. She moaned then, considering doing period math and tempting fate, but before she could even start, the water started running cold, and she squealed.

"M'sorry," he chuckled, letting her go.

"Well, you said you'd wash my back," she said with a shrug, flinching as the cooling water chilled her skin. "Better make it quick." She tossed the soap and the washcloth at him, and he grinned at her before lathering up the cloth and sliding it over her skin.

Who ever said cold showers couldn't be fun?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Bigger and Better

Sometimes, getting called to Dale Horvath's office felt a little like getting sent to the principal's office. That was why as Carol and Michonne met each other in the hall, they gave each other a 'what did we do now?' look that spoke volumes.

"Come on in. Have a seat, ladies," Dale beckoned from his desk. With another worried glance at one another, Michonne and Carol joined Dale in his office and had a seat across from him at the desk./

"What's going on, Dale?" Carol asked with an even tone, trying not to show that her stomach was flip-flopping and tying into knots as she spoke.

"Well, I've gotten some news," he explained. "It's…well, I'm sure it won't be easy at first, but I do hope you'll understand in the long run." Michonne took a deep breath at Carol's side and tapped her fingers against her knee. "I'm afraid that there's not room for the two of you here. Your work has been great. Don't get me wrong, but I'm afraid there's just not room here enough for you both."

"Are you kidding me?" Michonne asked.

"I'm not," Dale replied, folding his hands in front of him on the table.

"Dale, come on. You said yourself that we're doing a great job," Carol pointed out. "I know we're new, but…"

"It's not about new or old or anything like that. Look, I have to do what's best for my employees. And you two are the best I've got."

"What?" Carol asked, crinkling her brows.

"I took the liberty of submitting a few of each of your articles to The Daily News downtown. They love your stuff, and they've offered each of you a spot. It's better pay, more hours, lots more work, but if you're up for it, you two could really make decent careers for yourselves. You'll go a lot further that you'd go at some little campus press."

"What?" Carol asked, wide-eyed. "You're serious?"

"Very serious," Dale replied with a nod. "See, the both of you have come so far, and your work is going above and beyond some of our more seasoned staff. You both have very specific talents. Michonne, for example, you are a brilliant editor, catching things even I haven't caught. Carol, you are a great editor as well, but you put so much passion into your pieces, that the chief editor would actually like to have you on full time doing pieces of your own."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured. "But…we've just gotten started here."

"And take it from me, if you don't take the opportunity when you've got it, you might never get outta here. This is a campus paper. We can hire students. They won't take your place, ever, but you've both got real shots of making a decent living. You've both gone above and beyond in the last few weeks, and I'm proud of that. But I know talent when I see it, and your skills would be much better employed elsewhere. Now, I will hold your jobs open. You're welcome here, but I'm telling you now, on your lunch break, you both need to go downtown and talk to this woman. He passed two cards across the desk, one for each of them. "Her name is Andrea Harrison, and she's the chief at The Daily News. She's a good friend. She got her start right here where you two did. She'll treat you fairly, and she'll give you opportunities you could only dream of here. Trust me. You _want_ to talk to her. Don't pass this one up. You might regret it later on."

...

All Daryl knew was that he was supposed to pick up some champagne on the way home from work. All she'd said in her text was that they had to celebrate, so he made sure to stop and get some champagne on the way home, and uncertain of what they were celebrating, he grabbed a bouquet of flowers, too. Then, before heading home, he'd stopped at the drug store to get a fresh box of condoms, because, why not? The ones in his room had been there for some time, and he kind of felt weird using condoms from various boxes he'd bought before having sex with women that weren't Carol.

So, he got home, replenished his condom stash and then he went about putting the flowers in a vase and starting dinner. By the time he heard the lock click on the door, he'd already showered and had the table set and the champagne chilling on ice.

"Daryl?" Carol called, slipping off her shoes and traipsing to the kitchen. Daryl was standing at the counter pouring two glasses of champagne while something bubbled on the stove. "What's all this?"

"You said we're celebratin'."

"Aw, you didn't have to cook dinner," she said with a pout before thanking him with a soft kiss the moment she was near him. "It smells great."

"Good. Hope it tastes that way, too," he replied with a grin. She laughed, and he handed her a glass of champagne. "So, what're we celebratin'?"

"Want to eat first?"

"Nope," he replied, taking a sip of champagne as she did, and then he reached for her glass and put it down next to his. Then his hands were on her waist, and he was pulling her close, kissing her softly and slowly. "What's goin' on?"

"Well," she said softly, gently running her thumb over his bottom lip. "I got some interesting news at work today."

"What's that?"

"Well, my boss basically said he didn't want me working there anymore."

"I'll kill him."

"Wait, Daryl," she chuckled. "It's good news. He sent some of my articles and some of Michonne's to The Daily News downtown. He gave us the chief editor's card and asked us to meet with her."

"And?" he asked.

"And we did, and she wants to hire us both full time. Michonne will be a junior editor."

"And you?"

"I'll be…well, I'll be starting out doing some coverage for small-time stuff. If I do well there, I'll graduate to attending some of the bigger events like the political events and even some of the stuff around Hollywood. It was too good to pass up, so I said yes, Daryl."

"So what you're really sayin' is you're leavin' me for Hollywood's most eligible bachelor."

"Something like that," she teased him, draping her arms around his neck and kissing him again. "But I promise you can come over anytime to ravage me." Daryl snorted then, kissing her neck, and then he pulled back.

"Speakin' of," he murmured, clearing his throat, "you gonna let me ravage you tonight?" Carol smiled then and stuck the tip of her tongue between her lips. Then she nodded.

"Mmmhmm. Thought about it," she admitted.

"You sure you're ready?"

"I've been ready," she laughed. "I just didn't wanna rush it." And then his mouth was on hers again, and she nearly choked, laughing as she gently pushed back on his chest. "What about dinner? You worked so hard?"

"Dinner can wait," he offered, turning off the range so the apartment didn't catch fire. "Let's work up an appetite first."

"Oh my God," Carol yelped, as Daryl hoisted her up over his shoulder, legs flying up from under her as he started back toward the bedroom. She laughed, kicking her legs as he carried her, and she smacked his ass.

"Careful, I might like that," he teased.

"Jerk."

"Brat," he snorted. Carol laughed again, and then she was falling backward and onto his mattress. "Bout some new condoms today."

"What's wrong with the old ones?"

"They're..old," he offered.

"Oh. Smart. I like that in a man," she replied with a grin. "Now take off your pants."

"Who's ravagin' who?" he asked.

"I'm ravaging you," she offered, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed, reaching for his belt. "You alright with that?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a sexy grin as Carol began to tug his pants down his hips.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Best Ever

Nothing had prepared her for this moment, for the way their bodies seemed to fit together like two pieces of a very intimate puzzle. She could feel him stretching her, touching parts of her she had never felt before, bringing a little bit of pain with the overwhelming pleasure of having him looking up at her as she straddled him and sunk down onto him and rolled her hips just so to have his head slamming back against the pillow and his lungs parched for air.

Her name escaped his lips, and she smiled down at him, coming down to press her lips against his neck as his hands slid across her back, feeling the easy curve of her spine before gripping her hips to steady her.

She closed her eyes then, curling the pillowcase between her fingers as she held on, trying like hell to keep her sanity intact as every nerve ending in her body stood on high alert as the waves of desire rippled through her.

Before she could come down from that high, he changed the game, gripping her hips and sliding out of her long enough to flip her onto her back. She let out a squeal when he passed on, long swipe of his tongue over her clit before he kissed his way up her stomach and chest and buried his face against her neck. He pushed in again, and she cried out, moaning and digging her nails into his back as she squeezed around him again.

He groaned then, feeling the last string holding him together starting to come apart. It wouldn't be long, but he never wanted it to end.

He gathered her close, and her legs tightened around his hips, and he pressed his lips against her neck, feeling her pulse race beneath his touch. His skin felt like fire as her nails raked down his back, and she gripped his ass, pulling him closer as he thrust harder and faster the closer he got.

She held him close, arms tight around his sides, hands splayed along his lower back as she squeezed her eyes shut tight, whispering soft words to him, mind spinning as she tried to find her grip on reality. This was happening. Finally. And it was better than she'd ever expected.

...

"Are you ok?" he asked, calling from the bed as he heard the toilet flush and then the water from the tap running.

"Fine," she called before the door came open and she crossed the room completely naked. She nearly tripped over her own two feet before she reached his bed, and he reached up to reach for her. "I'm fine." She laughed then, falling back onto the bed, and Daryl gathered her up in his arms and pulled her down onto him.

"Kinda bad for the ego when you make a run to the bathroom right after sex."

"That wasn't just sex. That was marathon sex," she teased. "I had to pee." He kissed her neck.

"Feel better?"

"Much."

"Wanna go again?"

"Again? I think you broke my vagina." Daryl pouted briefly, hand slipping between her thighs. She clamped them hard around his hand, trapping him. He tried wiggling his fingers to no avail.

"I think we should have stretched first," she laughed, before Daryl snorted against her neck. He leaned over the side of the bed, scooping up three condom wrappers and depositing them into the waste basket under his bedside table.

"Just makin' up for lost time," he said with a shrug.

"Yeah, just wait. You'll be hurting in the morning."

"Hey, you kidding? I think my dick was just glad I wasn't solo again."

"Oh please. You've had far more sex than I have," she replied, slapping his shoulder before he rolled her onto her back and began to place lazy kisses along her collarbones.

"Dunno about that."

"Yeah. Mmmhmm," she replied, giving him a playful nudge on the shoulder.

"No, m'serious. I've been with different girls, but you were with Ed for a long time. You guys had sex almost every night."

"Daryl!" she choked out.

"Hey. I'm your roommate, remember? Thin walls."

"Right," she replied with an eye roll.

"You seemed to like it with him, even when you were fakin'."

"Oh please. You have _no_ idea if I faked it or not." Daryl wiggled his eyebrows at her, rolled off of her and propped himself up on his elbow next to her, skimming his free hand over her bare hip and waist.

"You weren't fakin' it tonight. That was real. When you're fakin' it, you make a lot more noise. "

"Oh my God," Carol groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Stop. And, by the way, get over yourself." Daryl smirked then, leaning in to press his lips against her forehead. She peeked out from between her fingers and slowly lowered her hands from her face so he could give her a proper kiss.

"It was good, though? Really?" Daryl asked. "I ain't the kind of guy that needs validation, but it's you, and it's us, and…I've been dreamin' about this for…" Carol smiled then and placed a finger against his lips.

"Stop talking," she whispered, putting her hands on either side of his face. She leaned in to press her lips gently against his before pulling back and staring straight into his eyes. "I love you. And _this_ is the _best_ I've ever had." Daryl smiled then, and he brushed his fingertips gently along her cheek. "So?"

"So…"

"How do I measure up to all your one-night stands?"

"This ain't that," he said soberly, stroking her absently beneath her breast. "I never had somethin' like this before. Ain't never felt like this about anybody."

"Me too," she murmured, as he leaned in, gaze heavy before he closed his eyes and sunk into the kiss. She sighed against his mouth, opening up to him as their bodies began to respond in fascinating, hungering ways. When she reached down, stroking him, he groaned against her mouth before pulling back.

"Thought I broke you," he chuckled.

"Oh, I'm well on the mend, thank you," she giggled, before she pulled him close and let the world fade to black around them .


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Happy

"Nope."

"Daryl!"

"Nope. It's Saturday. Don't answer it."

" _Daryl_ ," Carol whined, reaching for her phone on his side of the bed, only to have him bump her arm out of the way again.

"It's _Saturday_. If Andrea wants you to work, tell her you're sick. Tell her…you're having the best sex of your life, and if you stop, the world might really end. Because it's that good."

"Daryl," Carol laughed. "Give me my phone, you jerk." Daryl sighed dramatically and reached for Carol's phone.

"Oh, hey, it's your mom. I can answer—"

"Oh, no you don't! Remember what happened the last time you did that?"

"Yeah. And it was worth it, too." He wiggled his eyebrows, and Carol grinned, leaning in to kiss him softly. And just when he let his guard down, she snatched the phone out of his hands, did a quick roll out of bed that would impress a ninja, and she bolted for the bathroom door with Daryl in hot pursuit.

"Hi, Mom." Daryl grabbed her around the middle, flipping her around and pressing her back against the bathroom door. It shut loudly behind her. "Huh? Oh, that. No, I'm just getting ready to take a shower. How are you? How's dad?"

Daryl pressed kisses to her neck, moving to his knees to bury his face against her stomach. She sighed heavily and lazily threaded her fingers through his hair as he playfully nibbled at her bellybutton.

"Oh, my new job? I love it. Mmmhmm." She bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing when Daryl's lips latched around a nipple. "Oh, Daryl's great. He's just…great. Yeah. Well, that's awfully short notice, but…ok. Ok, I'll talk to Daryl about it. Ok. I love you, too. Tell Dad hi. Ok. Bye, Mom." She ended the call and put her phone down on the shelf above the toilet. "You asshole!"

"How's Mom?" He stood then, pulling Carol close, moving his hand slowly down her back and over her ass.

"She's good. She wants us to come visit," Carol replied, as Daryl leaned in for a kiss. He froze.

"What?"

"She wants me to bring you—my studly boyfriend—to the place I grew up. She wants my dad to meet you. They're having an anniversary thing next month, and naturally they want me, their only child, the apple of their eyes, to be there."

"And…your dad? Is he…I mean…"

"My dad's great," Carol chuckled. "You have nothing to worry about so long as you don't openly grope me or bend me over the dinner table."

"Damn. There goes that plan," Daryl sighed, suckling at her neck. Carol laughed then, and she ran her fingers through his hair as he pressed her back against the door.

The past month had been amazing in more than one way. She'd settled into her new job at The Daily News. She'd started out with some small articles to show her new boss what she could do. Within two weeks, she was attending city council meetings and other things deemed newsworthy to Andrea Harrison. And more importantly, things with Daryl were going beautifully.

In the last month, they'd cleared out Daryl's room, moved some of his things into her room and had taken up sleeping there, because her room was bigger and had much more closet space. They'd go to work in the morning, come home for dinner at night, and they would spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in each other without a care in the world.

"When do we leave?" he asked, as Carol ducked out from his arms and made her way over to the toilet. She went to lift the toilet lid when Daryl started to turn and leave.

"Hey, where are you…Daryl!" She sat down to pee, and she smirked when Daryl stuck his hand back through the crack in the door with a thumbs up.

"I love you, but I don't think we're… _there_ yet."

"You had your face between my legs this morning. You put your _tongue_ inside of me. I think we're there." Daryl slowly slid back into the bathroom, and he cleared his throat, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against the door.

"Guess one day we'll have a kid. I'll be in the room for that, so this ain't nothin'."

"Right, and…wait. What?" Carol glanced up at Daryl with wide eyes. "You think…about that stuff?"

"Sure, why not? Don't you?"

"I just…I didn't know _you_ were thinking about those things," she said quietly, swiping a bit of tissue paper between her legs before tossing it into the toilet and flushing. She got up and washed her hands before turning to look at him again. "We haven't really talked about it. You want kids?"

"One or two," he suggested. "Don't need to have enough to get our own reality show." Carol laughed at that, and she crossed the room to duck out into the hall with him. They made their way to the bedroom, each of them dressing in their weekend best, him in his sweats, her in her yoga pants, a loose tee, and no bra. "What about you?"

"I've thought about it," she said with a chuckle. "Maybe two. Someday."

"Someday," he agreed. "I'd like to actually have money in the bank, and maybe even make some money off of my pictures. I'll be some hotshot, motorcycle-ridin' photographer, and you'll be the hottest reporter in Hollywood."

"We could run our own newspaper," she said with a grin, moving to hug him from behind. She kissed the back of his shoulder and rested her head there, reveling in the sound of his heart against her ear. "I could write the articles, you could do the pictures. A perfect match."

"I like your plan," Daryl agreed, turning and putting his hands on her waist.

"But none of it means anything without one thing," she said ominously, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What's that?"

"You have to have the Mason family seal of approval."

"You serious?"

"No," Carol laughed. "My dad's gonna love you, and even if he didn't, I do, and that's all that matters." Daryl swallowed and chuckled nervously, and Carol pinched his cheek. "I can't wait for you to meet him," she said with a happy smile.

"So, when do we leave?"

"Next Friday night. We can take a flight out after work, spend the weekend, come back Sunday night. Andrea might even give me Monday off. I can talk to her." She smiled brightly, and Daryl's grin widened. "What?"

"I like this. You ain't so stressed out. You're happy. You really like this job."

"I do. And Michonne loves her new job, too. But I miss Dale. I miss the old office. But Dale was right. I made the right choice." She nodded, and Daryl leaned down to kiss her. "I've made a lot of right choices lately."

"Good," Daryl chuckled. "Glad to hear it." He kissed her softly, slowly at first, and it wasn't long before things began to heat up. She gave his bottom lip a little nibble, and he pulled back, his gaze falling to her kiss-swollen mouth with a fire she knew all too well now. He reached for her hand, and he led her back to the bed.

"But…breakfast," Carol moaned with a pouty grin. "I'm starving."

"Yeah," he replied, tugging his shirt back over his head. "Me too."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Nebraska

"You sure your dad's gonna like me?" Daryl asked as he fidgeted in the cramped seat between Carol and a sleeping old man. Every once in a while, the man's head would loll to the side and rest on Daryl's shoulder, must to Carol's amusement. For the moment, the old fellow's head was resting against the small airplane window.

"He's gonna love you. I'm sure my mom's already talked you up, and he's probably already sick of hearing about you. And just think, mom met _you_ when we were just pretending."

"I wasn't pretending," Daryl replied with a little smirk.

"Yeah, neither was I," she chuckled. "But now she'll see us when we're not pretending to be pretending. And if she loved you then, she'll really love you now. And my dad's just happy if I'm happy."

"So, you're sure you don't have any secret big brothers who are gonna come kick my ass for touchin' their sister?"

"No," Carol snorted. "I promise you, I'm an only child, unlike you. And _, by the way_ , I still fully intend on meeting this elusive big brother of yours."

"Hell, Merle ain't never gonna come to California," Daryl replied. "He's just fine in Georgia."

"Maybe we can visit him sometime," Carol offered.

"Hell, you don't wanna see that place. Ain't that great. I was lucky to get outta there myself. If it wasn't for them scholarships, I'd probably still be in that shithole town, you know?" Carol frowned a little.

"I hate to hear you talk like that about the place you grew up." She reached over and stroked his face, and he turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. "I know Merle's the only family you've got left, and I feel like that makes him my family, too."

"It does," he replied, "but, like I said, Merle ain't never comin' to California, unless he thinks he can make some good money or he's chasin' after a girl. But he'd have to be pretty hung up on her to do somethin' like that." Daryl shrugged a little. "Merle's Merle, and there ain't no changin' that. But if you wanna go to Georgia, we can go to Georgia. But my home's wherever you are, and that ain't never gonna change." He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He pulled back just enough to take a breath, and she chased his mouth with her own, sighing softly as he brushed a hand over her cheek.

When he finally pulled back, Carol let out a slow, heavy breath and leaned her head back against her seat.

"So? You got anything you wanna tell me?"

"Huh?" Carol asked, blinking up at him innocently.

"Any skeletons in the closet I should know about? You didn't get married to the preacher's son at fifteen and get a quickie divorce before you ran off to college, did you?"

"What…exactly do you think goes on in Nebraska?" Carol asked with a stifled snort. Daryl shrugged, and Carol rolled her eyes. "Rick still lives there. He's a deputy for the Sheriff's department, but he's happily married from what mom says."

"Who's Rick Grimes? He…"

"He was the first…"

"Holy shit," Daryl muttered. "He ain't crazy, is he?"

"Daryl," she laughed. "If you'd have let me finish my sentence, I'd have told you that he was my first boyfriend. But we never had sex. It was just a junior high crush, and that's all it was. By the time we were in high school, he was more like my big brother than anything else."

"Oh," Daryl said slowly, swallowing hard. "But he carries a gun. You sure he ain't crazy?"

"He's not, but his partner's a hot head. Um…Shane Walsh."

"Shit. What about Shane?" Daryl looked almost pained.

"Shane had a thing for me, and _he_ was my…first." At Daryl's uncertain expression, she put her hand on his thigh. "It was his first time, too, and well, let's just say that it was clumsy and awkward, and it never happened again."

"Fuck," Daryl muttered.

"Aw, don't be jealous of clumsy, awkward sex."

"I ain't jealous."

"Well, whatever it is, it's kind of a turn on." She winked at him, and he made a face. "But you have nothing to worry about. Oh, and there's the guy I went to prom with, but he pretty much hates me since the whole 'mom ruining the prom' fiasco. There were a few guys, but nothing serious."

"Jesus, what were you, the homecoming queen?"

"Twice," she said with a wink before she gave him a little nose boop with the tip of her finger.

"Did you just…pat my nose? Shit, I'm gonna have to start workin' out again, ain't I?"

"Oh, don't feel inadequate, Pookie. I love you just the way you are."

"Even though I ain't some ripped, gun-totin', badass cop?"

"I never said he was ripped," she said with a shrug. Daryl frowned. "Though he was on the wrestling team in high school, and I'm pretty sure he lifted weights."

"Let's turn the plane around and go home." Carol grinned at that.

"You don't have anything to worry about."

"But this cop guy was your first, and they say you never forget your first."

"True," Carol said with a little smile, "but that doesn't mean I have feelings for him or that I'd ever want to sleep with him again. It's not like I'm going to see him and want to jump his bones. "

"I ain't worried," he promised her, kissing her forehead. Carol narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips.

"What?"

"I'm sure you remember your first time."

"Yeah, I do, and I sure as fuck don't wanna talk about it."

"Aw, c'mon. I showed you mine." She nudged his arm.

"Her name was Roxie, and she sure as hell ain't a cop. Last I heard, she works as a dancer at the Moonlight Lounge."

"Oh," Carol said with a little pout before she cast a glance down the aisle toward the front of the plane. "Alright, hey. Why don't we both have a first together right now?"

"Huh?"

"Ever done it in an airplane? I've heard it's awkward, uncomfortable and totally worth it anyway."

"No, but I fuckin' want to now," he said with raised eyebrows. Carol laughed then, and she bit her bottom lip before unbuckling her seat belt and getting up out of her seat. Daryl followed her every move as she headed toward the back and past unsuspecting passengers. He tapped his fingers against the arm rests on his seat before casting a glance at the now snoring, sleeping man next to him. Finally, he took a deep breath, unbuckled his belt and tried not to skip all the way to the back of the plane, but anybody who might have saw him could not have missed the ridiculous grin of a man about to do something very naughty with his incredibly sexy girlfriend.

It was halfway back that he realized that he hadn't brought any condoms in his carryon bag. Hell, to think of it, he hadn't packed any condoms at all, but that was a whole other matter for when they landed and he would then have to play the 'you distract your father while I run to the ridiculously overpriced small-town drugstore for a box of rubbers' game. He thought about knocking on the door and informing her, but he knew that would only draw attention.

Instead, he returned to his seat and waited the grueling four minutes in painstaking silence before she returned with an annoyed look on her face.

"Hey, you get lost?" she asked.

"No condoms," he whispered as she sat down.

"What?"

"I forgot to pack 'em."

"You're kidding, right?" Carol deadpanned, eyeing him.

"Wish I was. S'alright. We can pick 'em up when we land."

"You realize my parents are picking us up, right?"

"I can get 'em after we get settled. No big deal."

"Yeah. Alright," Carol said slowly, eyeing him.

"I'll take care of it. I promise." He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. She smiled then, relaxing in her seat, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "So…"

"So?"

"About this Shane guy. You sure he's over you?"

"Oh Jesus," she muttered, looking toward the ceiling, knowing it was going to be a long, _long_ flight.

...

"Daddy!" Carol squealed, dropping her bag and rushing over to greet her father with a big hug. He was a tall man, lean but sturdy, and he easily picked her up off the ground, hugging her tight and spinning her once.

"Hi, baby," he chuckled, putting her feet back on the floor before running a hand over his thinning, graying hair. "Oh, you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Carol said softly, smiling before she hugged her mother.

"How was your flight?" Charlotte asked.

"Long," Carol admitted with an exasperated chuckle, as Daryl came walking over with their things.

"Oh, Daryl!" Charlotte exclaimed, rushing to give him a big hug. Daryl dropped their bags and hugged Carol's mother before letting her go and greeting Carol's father with a handshake.

"Daddy, this is Daryl Dixon. Daryl, this is my father, Robert Mason."

"Everybody calls me Bob. Or Bobby," he said with a friendly smile, shaking Daryl's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Sir." It was then that Daryl noticed the uniform Mr. Mason was wearing. He also noticed the shiny badge on his chest. "I guess some folks call you Sheriff Mason." Bob chuckled at that, and Daryl glanced at Carol. "You, uh, you didn't tell me your dad was the Sheriff."

"I didn't?" Carol asked. Daryl gave her a look, and she gave him a guilty pout before moving to give him a peck on the lips.

"Well, you two must be exhausted," Charlotte said with a chuckle. "Let's get you home. Carol, we've fixed up your old room for you. Daryl, you can sleep down the hall." Daryl swallowed hard and glanced at Charlotte nervously before the woman began to laugh. "I'm joking. We're not old fuddy-duddies. Carol's room has a Queen-sized bed. You'll be more than comfortable." Carol slipped her hand into Daryl's and gave it a squeeze, and he took a breath.

"Relax. You look terrified."

"Your 'big brother' ex and your 'clumsy, awkward sex' ex work for your father," Daryl said quietly as they all grabbed up the bags and headed out.

"Daryl, it's not a big deal," Carol promised. "Rick's married. I'm sure Shane's moved on. We're going to enjoy this weekend, and nothing is going to go wrong, ok?"

"Ok," Daryl murmured quietly.

"I've never seen you freak out like this," she whispered.

"I ain't never met a girl's parents before. This is new to me, too," he pointed out.

"Fair enough," she said with a smile, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be great."

...

It was an old, two-story farm house with a big, white barn in the back. Daryl could see a tractor pulled up inside of the barn, and there were some horses out in the pasture.

"You had horses as a kid?"

"No," Carol pouted. "Dad leases out the barn and the farm land to another farmer to use. Dad gets a percentage of the profit, some of the crops, and we get horses in the back yard."

"Sounds like a good deal," Daryl chuckled. "It's a nice house."

"Dad keeps it up nice. I remember he was always working on _something_ , when I was a kid. I remember I helped him paint the entire basement after he finished putting up the drywall. They turned it into a den, and I used to have slumber parties down there."

"Did Robo-Shane have sleepovers, too?"

"Oh, shut up," she snorted. "You'll meet him, and you'll see that it never would have worked out between us."

"'Roid rage?"

"No," Carol laughed. "He's just…he and Rick have been buddies since high school, and he always felt like he was in a competition with him. Rick's the one that won my heart in junior high. Shane was jealous as hell. When Rick and I became, you know, just friends, Shane did everything he could to try to win me over. Senior year, I finally gave him a chance, and three dates and one awkward encounter in the back of my dad's police cruiser—please never tell him about that, by the way—and we never went out again. It wasn't long before school was over and I was making plans to move to Los Angeles."

"So you haven't seen him since you two…"

"Sure, I saw him," Carol offered. "But I told him I didn't feel anything for him, and I wanted to just be friends."

"And, he was ok with that?"

"Not really," Carol murmured sheepishly. "But I wasn't about to string him along and have him wait for me while I moved away for college. I'm sure he's over it, and I'm sure he's glad I _didn't_ string him along."

At that moment, a big, black and brown German Shepherd came bounding around the house, barking and panting, and Carol knelt down on the ground to greet the pooch with a hug around the neck.

"Brody!"

"Hey, you have a dog? Didn't know that."

"He's my dad's dog. He rides along. Police trained and all that," Carol replied with a smile. "Well, he used to. He's retired now. Now he just gets to run around the farm and sleep and basically be lazy. He was my biggest protector way back when."

"Hey, Brody," Daryl said softly, holding his hand out toward the dog. Brody lifted his head and sniffed Daryl's hand before giving it a lick.

"He likes you," Carol said with a grin. "That's good, because I was a little worried. If Brody doesn't like you, you're gonna have a bad time."

"Good dog," Daryl replied with a snort. Carol rubbed the dog's belly for a moment. When Bob whistled for him, he went running. Daryl held his hand out and helped Carol stand, and she brushed her hands on her knees. "I like it out here. It's nice."

"Yeah," Carol said with a soft sigh. "We're not in L.A. anymore."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Awkward Encounters

"This is awesome," Daryl chuckled with a wide grin as the old, rickety truck bounced down a curvy country road. "Your dad's had this your whole life?"

"Yeah. He loves it. Mom has tried to get him to sell it for parts for years, but he won't part with it. I'm surprised he let _you_ behind the wheel." Carol scooted across the seat, and Daryl draped one arm across her arms.

"Think your mom wanted us out of her hair anyway."

"They _love_ you," Carol said with a smile, cozying up against him. "Well, you already knew my mother was crazy about you, but my dad likes you."

"How can ya tell?"

"Well, he let you near the two most precious things to him in his life. His truck and his daughter." Daryl snorted at that, and Carol pressed a kiss to his neck.

"So when you say you come from a small town, you really mean you live in the middle of nowhere twenty miles away from a small town."

"Something like that," Carol chuckled. "Now don't be surprised if we run into some of the guys at the drug store. There's a little coffee shop right next door where they stop a couple times a day."

"So you mean I might get to meet the guy that boned my girlfriend in the back of her daddy's cruiser? My day's complete."

"Shut up, jerk," she laughed, slapping him teasingly on the stomach. He groaned, and she pressed her lips against his cheek. "You know I love you more than anything, right?"

"I know," he replied with a grin, as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Just feels weird, you know? I wish I'd met you a lot sooner."

"Me too," she said with a sigh. "But I think we met at exactly the right time, because everything worked out for us in the end."

"This ain't the end," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "We're just gettin' started."

They drove on, and under Carol's direction, Daryl drove them right into the center of a small, sleepy town with a gas station on one corner, a little mom-and-pop grocery story on another and a line of small businesses in the heart of town. The drugstore was right where Carol said it would be next to Jacqui's Java, the small coffee shop Carol had spoke about. And sure enough, two police cruisers were parked right out front.

Daryl pulled the truck right in next to one of the cars, and he let out a slow, even breath and cut the engine.

"Would it make you feel better if I let you feel me up in front of the window?"

"I ain't that insecure," he snorted. "Just feels weird knowin' these people know so much about you, that they knew you before. It's dumb, I know."

"It's not dumb. It's sweet. And I'm glad you're here. I'm thankful to have you."

"Me too," Daryl said with a little smile before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.

They hopped out of the truck and headed into the small pharmacy. Daryl went right to the condoms, while Carol browsed a bit in the hygiene area, grabbing a couple bottles of a certain hair product that she seemed pretty excited about. When Daryl met her gaze, she just smiled sheepishly and grinned.

"Can't find these in L.A. I'm stocking up."

"I ain't judgin'. For a small drugstore, these are cheaper than you'd find 'em in L.A." Daryl grabbed three multi-packs of assorted condoms.

"You've got really high expectations for this trip, don't you?" she teased.

"I'm really curious about that barn," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, no. We aren't doing it in the hay. That stuff sticks if you get poked in the wrong place."

"Have experience, do we?"

"I made out with a guy in the barn before. It's not as sexy as it sounds."

"Was it Robo-Shane?"

"Robo-Shane? I like it." Carol and Daryl both turned, she with her shampoo in hand, he with his condoms, and there was a young man in uniform with dark hair and dark eyes. The guy was built like a brick wall, sturdy and thick, and he looked like he could crush a walnut between his butt cheeks. "That my new nickname, Carolina?"

"Shane?" Carol asked, eyes widening at the sight of her old beau.

"Look at you. You haven't changed a bit. Still as pretty as the day you went runnin' for the hills."

"I wasn't running away," she insisted.

"You look good."

"So do you," she said with a smile. "You grew your hair out."

"Yeah, well, my old girlfriend Missy thought the shaved-head look made me look crazy, so I figured that wasn't good for my reputation." Carol rolled her eyes and shook her head, laughing a little. "It's good to see you, Carolina."

"You too," Carol replied, as Shane came in for an awkward hug. Carol could practically hear Daryl's teeth gritting, and she cast him a glance over Shane's shoulder. When Shane pulled back, he cleared his throat and turned to extend his hand out to Daryl. "Don't believe I've had the pleasure. Name's Robo-Shane."

"Daryl Dixon," Daryl replied, wincing slightly in embarrassment as he shook the other man's hand.

"Daryl Dixon," Shane said with a nod, glancing down at the boxes of condoms in Daryl's hands. He raised an eyebrow and looked over at Carol, who moved to stand next to Daryl. "You got yourself a hell of a woman. I hope you know that. She's somethin' special."

"Ok, Shane," Carol groaned. "We'll catch up later."

"Yeah, over your mama's famous pot roast. Can't wait." Shane folded his arms across his chest, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Carol paused.

"Wait. What?"

"Your daddy called about five minutes ago, invited me and Rick out to the house for dinner. Thought you might like to catch up with your old friends."

"Oh God," Carol muttered under her breath.

"Couldn't pass up the offer." Shane narrowed his eyes at her. "Won't be weird for you, will it?"

"Why would it be weird?" Carol asked with a shrug of her shoulders. She glanced at Daryl, who glanced at her, and then she cleared her throat. "We really have to be going. It was nice to see you, Shane. I guess we'll see you again tonight."

"Wouldn't miss it," Shane said with a grin that made Carol more than a little uncomfortable. She turned and nodded to Daryl, and together they headed up to the front toward the checkout.

They were silent until after they paid for their items and got to the truck. The second they were inside, Carol leaned her head back against the seat and groaned.

"You ok?" Daryl asked.

"Me? You looked like you wanted to crawl into a hole back there," Carol replied, making a face. "It won't be weird."

"It's weird that your dad invited your two exes to dinner tonight," Daryl pointed out.

"Not really," Carol replied quietly. "Dad knows about Rick, because Rick was my junior high boyfriend, and later, just my best guy friend. He doesn't know about Shane. He knows that we were friends, that Shane was Rick's buddy, but he doesn't know we saw each other or anything."

"Your mom know?"

"No," Carol snorted. "Are you kidding? Look, we can get through this."

"Look, I ain't no expert or anything, but I saw the way he looked at you. He ain't over you."

"Well, I'm over him, and that's all that matters, right?"

"I ain't worried 'bout that," Daryl said quietly. "But you said he's a hothead, right?"

"Oh, he wouldn't do anything. Daryl, he's got a temper, but he's a good guy. I'm not worried at all." She leaned across the cab and gave Daryl a soft peck on the lips. "It's just one dinner. We can get through this."

"You're right," Daryl said with a nod. "C'mon. Let's get back."

...

"Mrs. Mason, that was the best damned pot roast I've had in a long time," Shane said, wiping his mouth and putting his napkin down on the table.

"Well, thank you, Shane," Charlotte said with a smile. "You know, it isn't every night I have a house full of handsome men."

"Careful, Mom. Dad might just change his mind about taking you to Hawaii next week," Carol replied with a teasing grin. "Imagine all those beaches full of handsome men."

"Are you kidding? This time of year? It'll be old men with beer bellies with their midlife crisis girlfriends," Charlotte snorted. She looked at her husband. "You sure you don't have one of those, Bob?"

"Honey, you're like having two midlife crisis girlfriends," he said with a wink, getting a laugh from everyone around the table.

"Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Mason. Thank you," Rick Grimes spoke up. "It's been a while since I had such a good meal."

"Bite your tongue!" Charlotte laughed. "If word got out to that wife of yours, you'd never hear the end of it."

"Lori knows she can't cook," Shane piped up. "Why d'you think they get so much takeout from that Chinese place in town?" Everybody laughed again, and Carol felt something brush against her thigh. She looked down to see Daryl's hand resting just above her knee under the table, and she felt her face flush. She was wearing a short dress, and with her legs crossed under the table, she was _not_ going to make it easy for him to tease her. Still, the touch of his calloused hand against her skin had her stomach doing cartwheels.

"So, Daryl. What is it you do?" Rick asked, taking a sip of beer from the frosty bottle next to his plate.

"I work in a garage in L.A.," he said quietly.

"Daryl's also a pretty amazing photographer," Carol said proudly.

"Yeah? You got anything published?" Shane asked.

"Not yet," Daryl replied.

"Yes, he's done some great work," Charlotte said with a proud smile. "Carol, you'll have to take Daryl out and show him some of the sights tomorrow before the party. There are a couple of really beautiful, old covered bridges."

"I'd like to see those," Daryl said with a nod. "Thanks, Mrs. Mason."

"So, you two met in college?" Shane asked.

"Uh, yeah. First day of class, right?" Daryl asked, looking to Carol. She nodded.

"Yeah. We were both clueless. We stuck together and figured it out." She glanced at Shane, who cleared his throat and took a sip of his own beer. Carol shifted uncomfortably at the way he looked at her just then, and Daryl gave her knee a squeeze under the table before removing his hand from her leg.

"I must say, and I don't mean to embarrass either of you, but something's changed since I was in L.A. And it's a good thing. You both seem…happier. More relaxed, maybe." Carol felt her face flush, and she glanced at Daryl. They exchanged brief smiles before Carol looked back at her mother.

"I think we were both under a lot of stress, but things are better now. My new job is great, and we're happy."

"Does this mean we'll hear wedding bells soon?" Mr. Mason asked, holding up his glass of wine.

"Daddy," Carol groaned. "No, we're not thinking about that right now." Carol reached for Daryl's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. "If and when the time comes, don't worry, the both of you will be the first to know, ok?"

"Fair enough," Robert offered.

"Now, Shane, what about you?" Charlotte offered, directing the conversation away from Carol and Daryl, much to Carol's relief.

"What about me, ma'am?" Shane asked, almost choking on his swig of beer.

"Any thoughts of settling down?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him. He cleared his throat, looked at Carol for what felt like an eternity before he looked back at Charlotte.

"No ma'am. Guess I haven't found the right one yet."

"Well, you will," Charlotte promised. "There's someone out there for everybody."

"Yeah. So they say," Shane offered, glancing at Carol again, who squeezed Daryl's hand a little tighter. "There was one girl, you know, back in high school. Guess she's the one that got away."

"Oh, does she still live around here?" Mrs. Mason asked, taking a sip of wine from her glass. Shane's gaze moved over Carol again before he shook his head. "No, she got outta here as soon as she could and never looked back. Can't say I blame her. But she kinda left me in the dust, you know?"

At that point, Brody began to bark, and Carol said a silent 'thank you' to whatever entity had blessed them with such a divine intervention.

"Oh, what's that old boy barking at now?" Robert asked with a grunt, pushing his chair back.

"I bet it's a coyote. We've had three calls this week," Rick offered.

"C'mon, boys. Let's go check it out," Robert said with a nod, tossing his napkin onto the table. "Daryl, you wanna tag along?"

"Why not?" Daryl offered with a shrug.

"You know how to handle a shotgun?" Shane asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Grew up huntin' with my dad and brother," Daryl replied. "Think I might know a thing or two." He cast a glance at a nervous Carol, and he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Think I'll join 'em." She tugged on his collar and brought him down for a kiss on the lips.

"Be nice," she warned, before he smirked at her and gave her a wink.

"Don't worry. This won't take long." With that, he turned and headed out with the rest of the guys, leaving Carol and her mother alone at the table.

"Is everything ok?" Charlotte asked as silence settled between them.

"Great," Carol said with a tense smile. "Everything's just great."

...

Only an hour passed before Carol saw the beams from four flashlights coming out of field behind the house. They were all moving pretty fast and pretty close together, and it wasn't long before Carol heard them hollering and laughing like a bunch of old friends.

"What the hell?" Carol murmured, stepping out on the back porch. Rick was the first one up. He gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"That Daryl's something else. Never saw somebody track down a rabid coyote as fast as your guy did."

"What happened out there?" Carol asked, glancing up at Rick with wide eyes.

"That thing damned near took off Shane's arm. Good thing he was wearing that jacket. Didn't break the skin, but that thing was after blood."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yep. Daryl put it down with one shot. We bagged it up, left it for animal control to pick up tomorrow." Rick headed into the house, and Robert came up to give his daughter a squeeze around the shoulders.

"Honey, I like him. He's a good guy." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You know, with some training, he'd made a damned fine cop."

"I don't think that's his thing, Daddy," Carol said with a chuckle. "But thanks for the seal of approval." Robert chuckled and headed inside, as Daryl and Shane came walking up.

"This guy's got a good eye, Carolina. Guess that's how he found you." Shane said with a laugh, clapping Daryl on the back. Daryl stumbled forward before shoving Shane in the shoulder. Carol's jaw dropped, and she turned to cross her arms and stare at Daryl. Shane cleared his throat and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Uh, I gotta get goin'. Just gonna thank your mama for the meal again." Shane stepped around them and headed into the house, while Daryl smiled smugly at his girlfriend.

"Ok, we've entered the Twilight Zone, or you poisoned him. What is it?"

"Guess a man changes when you save his life," Daryl said with a shrug. "He ain't so bad. And I think we got an understanding."

"So you talked?"

"No," Daryl replied. "There ain't nothin' to talk about."

"No," Carol said slowly. "I told you there wasn't." A beat. "So you're, what, best buddies now?"

"No," Daryl snorted, pulling his arm around Carol's waist, bringing her in close. "He tries to undress you with his eyes again, I'll take his head off, but he gets a pass tonight. He knows he lost somethin' good. Kinda feel bad for the guy."

"Oh, is that it?" she laughed, as he placed a kiss to her lips before focusing on her jaw and trailing down to her neck.

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle, moving his hand slowly down her back and pausing just above her ass. "There's one thing I can tell ya, and that's this: I ain't never gonna make the same mistake he did. I know what I got is worth holdin' onto."

"You're damned right," she chuckled. "So you better hold on tight, Daryl Dixon. And don't even think about letting go."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: As a Mouse

Carol sat on the edge of her old bed and listened to the settling creaks of the old farm house. Her damp hair fell around her shoulders as she wore a long t- shirt and nothing else, waiting for Daryl to get out of the shower. She squeezed out a dollop of lotion into the palm of her hand and began to rub it over her legs and her feet. When she was all slicked up, she scooted back to sit against the many pillows tucked along the headboard of her bed.

She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her boy band posters that she'd never bothered to take down long after the fad had worn off. Pictures on her small computer table showed her with friends in various years of high school. One, notably, showed her with her arms around Rick's neck planting a kiss on his cheek and Shane standing by awkwardly looking at the two of them. She remembered that was from the seventh grade Sadie Hawkins dance, and she remembered Rick and Shane arguing that night but never knew what it was about. Well, she was pretty sure she knew, now.

It all felt like a lifetime ago. Meeting Daryl had changed her life, had made her realize that making that choice to leave home, even though it was the most difficult thing she'd ever done, had been the best thing for her. If she hadn't, she didn't know where she'd be. She certainly couldn't picture herself as Mrs. Shane Walsh, but she knew all too well what happened to some of these girls that stayed behind in small towns and never dared to take that scary step out into the bigger world.

The doorknob squeaked when Daryl turned it to walk into the room, and Carol's eyes lit up when she watched him walk in wearing nothing but a pair of sleep pants with a towel draped over his shoulder. Water beaded down his bare chest, and she bit her lip and squeezed her thighs together just a little. He paused in the doorway at the sight of her propped up on the bed, impossibly long legs crossed at the ankles.

He cleared his throat and shut the door, feeling for a lock, and when he found none, he glanced at Carol.

"Use the chair," she said quietly, nodding toward the small, wooden chair at her computer desk. "Prop it under the handle. Works like a charm. But don't worry, my parents are sound sleepers. Dad's been out for an hour, which means he's snoring, and mom's probably listening to her music and reading. She'll be out in five." Carol watched as Daryl picked up the chair and moved it over to the door, propping it firmly under the knob.

"I feel like we're sixteen," he said with a low chuckle as he secured the chair and reached for the light switch. The room darkened just a little with the small bedside lamp remaining on. When he turned to her, she uncrossed her legs and parted them just enough to reveal that she wasn't wearing a stitch of anything under that t-shirt.

"Holy shit," he murmured, tossing his towel absently into the corner. She bit her lip, watching as he moved toward the bed like a panther about to descend on a meal. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said softly, as she watched his hands tug at his pants, pulling them down to reveal he was already getting hard. He stepped out of his pants and crawled onto the bed, hands gripping her ankles as he tugged her down the mattress. Her head fell back against a pillow, and she laughed softly, blushing as his hands moved slowly, seductively up her calves and her thighs, parting her legs a little wider for him.

He kissed her knee and kept his eyes on her as he began to trail kisses up her inner thigh. She bit her lip, moaning softly as he moved closer, and she knew she was already wet, already throbbing. And then he stopped and pulled back. "Daryl?"

"Should we…I mean, is this weird?"

"What?" Carol asked, eyes widening a little as he sat up. "Daryl…what are you…"

"I mean, I get this feelin' that your dad's gonna burst in here any minute with a shotgun aimed at my ass."

"Daryl," she groaned, running her fingers through her hair, "he won't. I'm an adult, and what I do in my own room…"

"Under their roof…"

"Stop," Carol urged. "C'mere." Daryl sighed heavily as Carol reached for him, and he crawled over her, kissing her softly at first until her fingers threaded into his hair, giving him enough of a tug to tell him she was ok with going a little rough. They had to be quiet, but they could still have some fun.

And he was really getting into it, and he was hard against her thigh, and it would have been so easily to just slip inside, and she was moaning so softly, lips like the softest rose petals against his neck. And then he stopped again, and Carol flopped back against the pillows in frustration.

"Maybe we should go outside."

"It's too cold," Carol pointed out. "I'm not having sex in the barn."

"But…"

"Daryl?"

"Maybe we could turn on some music."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be obvious or anything," she pouted, rolling her eyes.

"But your loud moans wouldn't be obvious?"

"Oh, feeling ambitious, cowboy?" she asked, ruffling his hair. "How about if I promise to be quiet as a mouse?" Her hips jerked slightly, and Daryl rested his chin on her tummy. "I need this. _Please_."

"Only time you're quiet is when you're coming so hard you can't make a sound, or when you're not gettin' there."

"Then you've got work to do," she said with a smirk. He laughed then, sighing as he moved up to kiss her softly.

"Take this off," he finally ordered, pulling back. "Wanna see all of you."

"Thought you'd never ask."

"I ain't askin', sweetheart," he replied, wiggling his brows at her. With a laugh, she wiggled her hips, pulling the shirt out from under her and up over her shoulders. She tossed it aside, and Daryl tugged at Carol's hips again, bringing her down a little on the bed. She bit her lip, gaze flickering over his chest and abs and then down lower. She sighed when he fell over her, kissing her neck and down her chest, paying attention to her breasts, teasing one and then the other before he began his descent down her stomach and to the apex of her thighs.

The second his tongue touched her, she was grabbing a pillow and holding it over her face, stifling her moans as he made quick work of tasting her, teasing her, circling that pert little bud with the blunt tip of his tongue.

"Fuck," she moaned, pulling the pillow down tighter over her mouth, biting out her cries as her toes dug into the mattress.

It wasn't long before she was arching back, mouth falling back in a silent cry as an intense orgasm ripped through her. With his tongue on her clit and two fingers inside of her, he kept on stroking her through it until her hands were pushing him away. He knew when she tossed the pillow aside and ran her hands up over her breasts and her neck that she was a little sensitive and needed a moment before he touched her again.

"You ok?" he finally asked, kissing the inside of her thigh.

"I swear, you get better at that every time," she panted, as he crawled up, cock hard and already dripping. Carol reached out then, stroking him, rubbing her thumb over the tip and rubbing the moisture along his shaft. He shuddered then, and Carol stretched back, reaching for the small bag on the bedside table. She quickly grabbed one of the boxes of condoms they'd brought, and she handed it to him.

He made quick work of sliding the latex over his dick, and in one swift motion, he slid home, and she cried out, muffling her moans against his lips when he kissed her.

They moved together, as if they'd done this dance a thousand times, and he took his time with her, loving her, teasing her, making her feet good until they were both spent. And when it was over, she fell fast asleep with her head against his chest, and all he could do was close his eyes and be thankful that he'd been the one lucky enough to win her heart.

...

"Have you decided to give up L.A. and move on to the simple live?" Michonne teased over the phone.

"Please," Carol choked out. "I love Nebraska. I love this place, but my work's in L.A. My home is in L.A. Daryl is in L.A. Where he goes I go."

"Oh, you sound positively love struck," Michonne said with a dreamy sigh.

"Shut up," Carol laughed.

"Oh, hey, Andrea's top two reporters are out on assignment in Washington, and she breezed a little idea past me last night."

"What's that?" Carol asked.

"Well, she wanted to know if I thought that you could handle the story of the year."

"What?! What are you talking about?"

"Turns out some super successful company has been illegally dumping waste and has been for years. But it's not starting to affect the local wildlife. A few rural residents out in the hills have complained about a strange odor. They didn't think anything of it at first, but it turns out the stream that runs behind their homes has been contaminated."

"So she wants me to play Erin Brockovich?"

"You don't have to do any investigating. That's already being done. _You_ , my dear, get to interview the locals, maybe even take some pictures of what the waste has done to the water and to the land and animals that the water effects. I promise it's not dangerous so long as you don't drink the water. The smell is, apparently, pretty rank, but it's not dangerous if you don't drink it."

"And Andrea wants…me for this?"

"She knows you're good at what you do. Thorough. And she wants _me_ to edit it. This story could be huge, and both of our names would be attached. I can help you put together the interviews and get in touch with the officials who want to talk about it and get the word out. They want to get the illegal dumping shut down. If they can't do that, they want the company shut down."

"This sounds huge," Carol said quietly.

"And it could put you on the map. You don't have to do it. Andrea said she's got a few others chomping at the bit to do it, but she thought of you, because she wants to see what you can do when you're given a little space to work outside of an office. Check your e-mail. She said she was supposed to give you some more info."

"I don't know what to say," Carol murmured. "This is huge. This is the kind of thing I've been waiting for."

"See? Dale knew what he was talking about when he hooked us up with Andrea," Michonne said happily. "So you'll do it?"

" _We'll_ do it."

"Great! I've already got an interview set up, 'cause I knew you wouldn't say no to your bestie."

"You don't know me," Carol sniffed. Michonne snorted.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. What are you doing on Thursday at five?"

"Uh, just a sec." Carol reached over to pull her purse off of the bedside table and rummaged through it for her monthly planner. She flipped to the current month. "What's today? The sixteenth?"

"Yeah. All that fresh, clean air getting to your head?"

"Shut up," Carol laughed. "Ok. Hold on. Uh….this is Sunday…" She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she scanned over the days. And then she nearly choked. "What the hell?"

"What? Carol? Carol? You there?"

"Oh my God." Carol glanced at the box for the fifth and saw the little red dot that she knew meant the start of one of the worst weeks of the month.

"What?!"

"Uh, Mich, I'm gonna have to call you back."

"What about Thursday?"

"Uh, sure, sure, Thursday." Carol absently scribbled 5pm (get with Mich) in Thursday's box.

"Ok, what's going on? You were so 'this is huge' two seconds ago, and now you sound like…"

"Mich, I think I'm…I think I'm pregnant."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: EPT

"Carol? Hey. Hey! _Carol!_ " Michonne huffed at the lack of response. "Did you pass out? Don't make me text Daryl and tell him to come pick your pregnant butt up off the ground. Carol!"

"I've gotta go, Mich."

"Um, you're not hanging up."

"I'll call you later. I just…I gotta go."

"You better text me, and the next time you drop a bombshell like that on me, you better not be a million miles away!"

"Bye, Mich." Carol quickly ended the call and scrambled off the bed and toward the pile of bags in the corner. She shuffled through her own bag, knowing all too well that the last time she'd had to buy a pregnancy test was when she was with Ed. Still, she was holding out hope that by some miracle one might have appeared out of thin air.

She slumped over the bag and put her head in her hands, thinking back over the past week. It had been a busy, stressful week of tying up loose ends at work, buying plane tickets and planning the quick trip to Nebraska. She hadn't even thought about her period, though, funnily enough, she'd packed tampons for the trip.

"Damn it!" She pushed herself up off the floor and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She slipped into some shoes and pulled her jacket out of her bag.

Daryl had gone out to help Bob change the oil on the old truck, so she knew he'd be occupied for a little while. She slipped down the back stairs and found her mother reading the morning newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee.

"Oh, good morning, sweetheart."

"Hi, Mom," Carol said quickly, skittering around the kitchen like a nervous kitten.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing. I just…do you mind if I borrow your car? I forgot to pick up something in town yesterday."

"You're not sixteen anymore. You know where the key is," Charlotte said with a soft laugh. Carol smiled nervously at her mother and snagged the keys off the peg on the wall. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm sure," Carol said quietly, shrugging and trying her best to look casual, though she knew she probably looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Sit down."

"What?"

"Sit down. Have some coffee. Well, maybe decaf for you. You're awfully jumpy this morning."

"I'm fine, Mom." She tried to keep her voice calm and even, but inside, she was screaming. "Do you need anything for the party tonight?"

"Would you mind picking up a few bottles of champagne? You know my favorite. I have a few in the cellar, but I'd like to have some backup just in case things get boring." Carol couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Please, Mom. Nothing's boring after you've got a couple drinks in you. Remember dad's thirty-fifth?"

" _Please_ don't remind me," Charlotte huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Carol laughed.

"I'll be back with the bubbly," Carol promised.

"You need some money?"

"I'm not sixteen anymore, remember?" Carol pointed out.

"Touché. Drive safely, sweetheart."

As Carol headed out the back door and toward the drive where her mother's car was parked, she saw Daryl look up from where he was bent under the hood of the truck. He gave her a little wave, and she waved back, hoping he couldn't see the anxiety that was likely etched on her face all the way from over by the barn.

She made quick work of getting in the car and rushing off, and she couldn't help but take a peek in the rear view mirror as she left. Daryl stood by the truck watching after her for a moment before turning to work on the truck some more.

Thankful that she didn't have to stammer through any ridiculous excuses to get out of the house for a minute, she relaxed a little and turned on the radio. She kept her eyes on the road and sped down the curvy country road, hoping upon hope that luck was on her side this morning.

...

"May I see some ID, miss?" the young man behind the counter asked, as Carol placed three bottles of champagne up on the counter. She promptly provided her driver's license, and he continued ringing up her order. She pulled a bag of chocolate out of her basket and placed it up there as well. Then she hesitated, gripping the small box in her hand.

She found it funny that the box held three tests. Boy, what a steal, she thought dryly. Not only could she find out she was pregnant once but three separate times.

She slid the box onto the counter, and the young man glanced at the bottles of champagne, at the box of pregnancy tests and then at her. She felt her face grow hot, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Is that all for you?" he asked a little tightly, and she couldn't help but feel the eyes of judgment was over her and down to her flat stomach. _Fuck_.

"Yeah. That's all."

"That'll be $49.86." Carol frowned but passed her bank card through the reader. When the cashier handed her her receipt and her bags, she quickly hurried out the door and smacked right into Shane Walsh in the process.

"Shit. Carol, you ok?"

"Fine." Her mouth was set in a tight line that bordered on intense aggravation and fake happiness. Shane raised an eyebrow and grabbed one of her bags.

"Here. Can I help?"

"Thanks. I'm just over here." She nodded toward Charlotte's car, and he helped her carry the bags, and all she could do was pray that he wouldn't look down to see the box of tests nestled between a bottle of champagne and a bag of chocolates. If he noticed, he didn't say a word, and he placed the bags on the floorboard of the passenger's side. Carol put the other bag in with it, and she stood with her arms folded across her middle. She looked up at Shane, who looked down at her, and he cleared his throat.

"I'm an ass."

"I could have told you that," she replied with a soft chuckle.

"You never told your folks about us."

"Clearly you never did either, and you've been around them more than I have, lately."

"Yeah, I got the hint when your mom said 'it's a shame you two kids never got together' shortly after you moved out to California."

"Oh," Carol said with a little nod. "Look, I'm sorry, Shane. I'm sorry for how I left things. But you know I didn't love you. And I didn't realize you…that you felt the way you felt. At least not until last night."

"Figured I had to tell you somehow." Shane shrugged and stuffed his hands into the pocket of his brown uniform pants. "Look, I get it. You moved on. I mean, Daryl seems like a good guy."

"He's the best," Carol said with a nod. Shane sighed and ran his hand through his hair before biting his lower lip.

"You're happy, Carolina. I'm happy for you. Just sucks that it I wasn't the one that…well, you know." Carol shifted anxiously then, and Shane let out a heavy breath. "Would it be alright if I came by tonight? Your dad invited me, but if it'd be weird…"

"No, of course you can come, Shane," Carol said with a shake of her head. "It's fine. You have a right to be there."

"I didn't mean to make you feel weird or anything. I just…I wanted you to know."

"Thank you," Carol said with a nod. "Thank you for…you know, for being honest. But you know it doesn't change anything."

"I know," he said quietly. "Daryl's a lucky guy." Carol smiled at that and shook her head.

"No. I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one."

...

"Where'd you run off to so fast this mornin'?" Daryl asked, coming up behind Carol as she leaned over to gather up the bags from the drug store. She quickly grabbed the box of pregnancy tests and tucked them into her purse before she straightened and turned to greet him with a smile.

"Had to get chocolate and champagne. Champagne for the party. Chocolate for me. And if you play your cards right, I might be willing to share." She leaned in to kiss him, and he backed her up against the car, deepening the kiss just enough to leave her breathless when he pulled away. "What was that for?"

"Just wanted to," he said with a shrug before kissing her again. "Hey, we're almost done with the truck. You wanna go take a ride later? Show me some of those bridges? I can get my camera."

"Sure," Carol said with a bright smile. "I just have to use the bathroom. I can pack us up a lunch or something. We can make a day of it. But we better not be late to the party, because we'll never hear the end of it."

"Ah, gotcha," he said with a nod, moving his arms around her waist and kissing her softly once again. "You taste good."

"I might have snuck a chocolate or four on the way home," she teased. "You better let me go. You squeeze me much harder, I might pee on you."

"Hey, I could get into that."

"Gross," she snorted, kissing him once more before he finally let her go. She grabbed the bags and her purse and hurried up to the house, thankful that she was able to swallow her anxieties for a few minutes.

She managed to drop off the champagne in the kitchen and make her way upstairs without getting caught by her mother, who seemed to be preoccupied with dusting the den.

After grabbing the box of pregnancy tests and tossing her purse into her old room, she shut herself into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bath tub reading the instructions.

 _It's not that hard. You pee on it._

With a frown, she held the stick in her hands and debated on whether or not she should actually do this. They'd been careful. This wasn't her first pregnancy scare, but she'd never been in a relationship with somebody she actually loved like she loved Daryl. The possibility of actually having a child with someone she loved was very real, and she didn't know what to think or what to want. She was terrified, and all she could think about was how they were still _so_ new, and she had this great new job that she focused so much of her time on. How could _she_ have a kid? How could they have a kid together _now_?

But they'd talked about it. Talked about it happening _someday_. But someday was a long way off. This was too soon. Way too soon. Wasn't it?

 _Fuck._

Frowning, she moved to the toilet, dropped her pants and closed her eyes to say a silent prayer. The only thing was, she didn't quite know exactly what result she was hoping for.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Big News

"You know what'd make this picture better? You. Naked."

"Not on your life, Daryl Dixon."

"C'mon, we gotta have some for the private collection."

"Yeah, that's gonna be a no."

"Just one? C'mon, you never send me nudes."

"Never have. Never will." She couldn't help but laugh at the crestfallen look on Daryl's face. She patted his cheek. "Suck it up, buttercup." She held the camera up, peeking through until she saw the perfect shot. "Yep. Right here."

"Right here?"

"Yep. It's your award winning shot, and I fully expect you to split your millions with me." She batted her eyelashes at him, and he smirked, taking the camera from her and holding it up. "Nope. Lower. You have to get on my level."

"Like this?" Daryl hunched over, bending his knees, and Carol quirked an eyebrow.

"Funny! Very funny." She smiled at him and brought the camera down just a little.

"And I can't see through it," he pointed out.

"But it's going to be the best picture you ever took," she said with a smile. "Trust me."

"If you say so," he replied, shaking his head and taking the shot.

"Well it won't be if you keep moving. Stand still. Like a statue." She moved up behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders to steady him. "Breathe. Now take the shot." The shutter clicked, and Daryl turned to look at her.

"Who's the pro, anyway?"

"Sometimes you need an amateur's eye." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Did you get enough shots of this place? Ready to move on?"

"Not just yet," he replied, smirking at her. "C'mere." He took her by the hand, leading her up into the bridge, just far enough inside that the light was still good. "Lean back against the wall."

"I'm not getting naked, Daryl. I don't care how much you beg."

"Quiet, brat," he snorted. "Go on. Lean back. Good. Now, look at me." She stared right at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me. _Look_ at me." Carol smiled then, looking up into his eyes, watching him as if anticipating his every move. And then she saw the smile curl up at the corners of his mouth, and before she could blink, he snapped her picture. "Perfect. C'mon, let's go eat." He linked his fingers with hers and led her over to a patch of grass off of the quiet country road. They'd spread a blanket out, and Carol had made them some sandwiches and lemonade.

They settled down to eat, and Carol was about halfway through her sandwich when she realized that Daryl was watching her.

"What?" she asked.

"You ok?"

"What do you mean?"

"You been quiet. I mean, you run off this morning, and…"

"I told you what that was about."

"You sure you're ok? Nothin's wrong?" Carol took a sip of lemonade, and she gave him a nervous smile.

"Well, there's something. Michonne called this morning. Andrea wants me to work on a pretty big story when I get back."

"That's good news. What'd you say?"

"I think I want to do it, but it's going to take a lot of time and effort. I won't have as much free time as I'm used to having. I don't want you to think that…"

"Hey," Daryl interrupted. "This is good for you. It's good. Don't worry 'bout me." Carol frowned and reached over for his hand.

"But I _do_ worry about you. I love you. And I love this job. This is huge, and I'm excited about it, but I'm excited about us. About this…life we're going to make together." Daryl gently brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "That is what we're doing, right?" Daryl narrowed his eyes at her.

"'Course it is. Don't want nothin' else." Carol let out a slow breath, and Daryl tightened his hold on her hand, yanking her over until she fell into his lap. She laughed in surprise, and Daryl tilted her chin to gaze into her eyes, and then he kissed her softly. "It's what _you_ want, right?"

"Yes," she said with a smile.

"Good." He kissed her on the nose, and she giggled. "Don't put your work aside on account of me. I'm still gonna be here. I'll be there when ya get home at night, even if it's late." He held a hand up. "It's my solemn vow to wake up, even out of a dead sleep, and make sure you get some really hot sex before you go to sleep."

"Oh, do you now?" she laughed.

"Yep. That's what boyfriends are for, right?"

"Well, I'm sure I've got a few other uses for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "Only I can't seem to think of them right now." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her softly. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to tell you something else." She bit her lip, as Daryl moved his hand over her lower back.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that…" Daryl's cell phone picked the world's worst moment to ring, and they both groaned at the same time.

"Go on," he offered. Carol opened her mouth again, but the ringtone continued.

"You should answer that. Nobody ever calls you unless it's work."

"That makes me sound real good," he snorted. "'Sides, what the hell am I gonna do about work all the way out here in Nebraska?"

"Go on. It might be important." Daryl sighed, reaching for his phone while keeping one arm securely around Carol's waist. She nibbled at his neck as he pulled his cell phone to his ear.

"Dixon." He sighed softly when Carol brushed her fingers through his hair, sucking at his earlobe, giving it a little bite. "Yeah. Yes. Yes, I did. You got my portfolio?" Carol stopped what she was doing and pulled back to watch his face as he spoke to the caller. "Yes, sir. You did? You're based out of L.A.?" Carol smiled brightly, and Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes, and Carol hopped off of his lap and sat impatiently next to him with her hand on his knee. "I'll be back in L.A. tomorrow. Uh-huh. 4 o'clock? Yeah. Yeah, I can make it. Yes, sir. Thank you. Uh-huh. Bye." Daryl put his phone down, and Carol bounced a bit in anticipation.

"Well? What was that about?"

"One of the publications I sent my portfolio to wants me to come in tomorrow to talk about a project. They're interested in hiring me to take some photos, but I don't know of what or where at. But they liked what they saw, and if I give them what they want, they might find a spot for me full-time."

"Oh my God, Daryl, that's amazing!" Carol gushed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close, and she could feel his hands trembling against her back. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I just…I never thought somethin' like that would happen to me."

"You're amazing, Daryl," Carol murmured. "You know that, right?"

"You always told me that. Thank you," he said quietly. "If it wasn't for you, I probably never woulda kept at it. Hell, I mighta dropped outta school for good, you know?" Carol kissed his cheek then.

"So, you think this means you'll be traveling?"

"I dunno." He seemed a little shocked, and Carol gave his thigh a squeeze. "That'd be ok?"

"Daryl, you've been supportive of me through all of my job issues. You think I'm going to give you grief over this? This is one of your passions. You could, I don't know, pack all your gear up on your bike and drive across the country doing what you love. You haven't been out on the bike in a while, and I know you miss it." Daryl shrugged.

"Nah, I'd take the truck, 'cause I'd want you with me." Carol smiled at that.

"I'd love to go, but with this new story I'm taking on, they'll need me here more."

"Shit, we're gettin' ahead of ourselves anyway. Might not even be goin' nowhere outside of L.A." He took a sip of lemonade before he suddenly remembered that Carol had something to tell him before he got the call. "So what were ya gonna tell me?" Carol's smile faltered for a moment before she shook her head.

"Nothing. Just that I love you," she replied, leaning in to kiss him softly. He pulled back, studying her face for a moment, gazing into her eyes. And she just smiled back at him and buried her face against his neck as she wrapped herself around him. He held her close and reveled in the feel of her pressed so close to him.

"Love you, too."

...

"You remember that time we took Rick's daddy's truck out, parked it right in the middle of the football field?" Shane asked, as he, Carol, Rick and Daryl sat on the front porch of the Mason home. The anniversary party was pretty much over, Daryl had been the first to step outside, followed by Carol. She was sitting between his legs, leaning back against his chest, and now Rick and Shane were sitting on the porch steps. At least everyone was getting along.

"Oh God," Carol choked out. "Not that story."

"Oh, I remember," Rick chuckled. "Somebody said 'I'm no goody-two shoes' and chugged a whole six pack." He shot a glance in Carol's direction, and Daryl nudged her from behind.

"You?"

"Yes, me," she groaned.

"Shane thought he was hot shit stealing that beer out of his dad's garage," Rick snorted.

"You ever tell him I did that, I can kill you and make it look like an accident," Shane promised. "I know. I'm a cop." Rick laughed then, and he kicked at Shane's leg.

"You guys are drunk," Carol snorted.

"But you're not. Not drinking today, Carolina?" Shane asked.

"I have a flight to catch in the morning, so _no_ ," she pointed out.

"Ain't stoppin' him," Shane pointed out, tipping his beer in Daryl's direction.

"Hey, this is only my second. I can sleep it off," Daryl pointed out. Carol gave his knee a little squeeze, and he buried his nose against her hair, inhaling deeply.

"You two wanna be alone?" Rick asked.

"Maybe later," Carol teased, taking a deep breath as the cool night air chilled around them. "I missed this place. It's so quiet. It's nice to be back home with friends and with my family." She felt Daryl's arms tighten a little bit around her middle, and she rubbed her hand over his gently. "Think we can come back for Christmas? It's beautiful out here at Christmas."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," he murmured against her ear.

"Y'know, I didn't say anything before, but by Christmas, I'm gonna be a dad," Rick announced.

"What?" Carol asked. "You're having a baby?"

"Lori wanted to wait to tell people, but I figured you're leaving, and I wanted you to be one of the first ones to know. Shane here already knew, but hell, he knew before I did."

"True," Shane smirked. "'Course, it's hard to deny it when you run into Lori coming out of the clinic with a bottle of prenatal vitamins in her hand."

"It's a boy," Rick said proudly.

"And I still say Shane's a good, strong name for a boy."

"We're namin' him Carl after Lori's grandpa," Rick chuckled.

"Carl Shane Grimes then. What?"

"You need to find yourself a woman and have your own kid. Hell, have eight boys and name 'em all Shane if you want," Rick laughed.

"Someday. Maybe," Shane replied with a chuckle, glancing in Carol's direction. "What about you?"

"What about me?" she asked.

"C'mon, don't you even think about havin' kids?" Carol flinched and she tensed a little in Daryl's arms.

"Someday," Daryl offered in Carol's silence. "Hell, we ain't been together that long yet. Ain't no rush, is there?" Carol smiled tightly but relaxed against his chest again.

"No rush," she said with a shake of her head. "And don't you go putting ideas in my mother's head, Shane Walsh, because I'll never hear the end of it."

Rick made quick work of changing the topic of conversation, and he and Shane began relating stories from their time with the sheriff's department, while Carol snuggled a little closer to Daryl and relaxed to the feel of his heartbeat against her back.

...

The first thing that grabbed Carol's attention and pulled her from her sleep was the sound of Daryl stirring in bed next to her. The second thing was her cell phone ringing. She groaned, squinting into the morning sun that forced its way through the sides of the flattened blind slats, and she reached for her phone. 8:15 am. Well, they had to be up and at the airport within a couple of hours, so she figured now was as good a time as any to get up.

"Wake up," Carol murmured, nudging Daryl's shoulder as she put her phone to her ear. Daryl grumbled something into the pillow, and Carol nudged him again. "Hello?"

"I'm calling for Carol Mason."

"This is she," Carol said sleepily, yawning and running her fingers through her tangled hair.

"Good morning, Ms. Mason. This is Tara from Dr. Cloyd's office. I just got the message you left yesterday, and the earliest Dr. Cloyd can get you in is a week from today. Monday morning at 8? Would that be alright?" Carol put her hand to her forehead, the events of yesterday slowly peeking out of the fog from her still sleepy state.

"Um, Monday," she murmured. "Um, that soon?"

"Well, you said in your voicemail that you took three home pregnancy tests, and they were all positive. Dr. Cloyd would like to see you soon to get you started on prenatals and bloodwork."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course. Um, Monday at 8. I can…I can make that work."

"Alright. We've got you down for Monday at 8. We'll see you then, Carol."

"See you," Carol replied quietly before the line went quiet and she let the phone drop into her lap.

"Who was that?" Daryl asked sleepily, sitting up and giving her a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Um, work," Carol said quietly. "Just work stuff."

"You ok?"

"I'm fine," she said with a nod before turning to face him and giving him her best 'I'm fine' smile. "Come on, we've gotta get ready. Big day ahead of us."

"We got some time," he offered, tugging at her hand as he started scrambling to get up. Carol yelped when she felt his hand sneak between her legs, stroking her and bringing her attention fully to the way his hands made her feel.

"We have time," she agreed, biting her lip as he began to suckle at her neck. "We have… _oh,_ yeah, we have plenty of time." She closed her eyes and lost herself in the way he made her feel, thankful for the distraction and the much needed escape from reality. Soon enough, they'd be home. They could deal with the rest of it then.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Conflicted

The second Carol was in the bathroom, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed Michonne's number. She leaned against the marble countertop and chewed her lip as she listened to the phone ring.

"Hey, look who decided to call me! What happened?"

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't call you back yesterday. I got caught up with my parents' anniversary, and…"

"And the fact that you're pregnant? Did you take a test?!"

"I…Mich, I'm not…" She took a deep breath and looked into the mirror, wondering if she could pull off the lie. "I'm not pregnant. It was a false alarm."

"What? You're not?"

"Nope."

"Did you take a test?"

"Mmm, didn't have to?"

"Oh. Your period?"

"Look, Mich, can you please not say anything to Daryl about this? I don't want to freak him out."

"Alright," Michonne said slowly. "Are you ok? Are you two ok?"

"We're fine. Daryl's got a really great job opportunity, and he has a meeting later today after we get home."

"Really?" Michonne asked. "That's great!"

"Yeah. So, I don't to distract him with all this."

"Oh," Michonne said quietly. A beat. "Oh, you are _such_ a liar!"

"Michonne!"

"I know you, Carol Mason. You are lying so hard your pants are about to burst into flame."

"Stop!"

"Fine, I'll stop, but you have to be honest with me if you won't be honest with your boyfriend. You _are_ pregnant, aren't you?" A pause. "Carol?"

"According to the three pregnancy tests I took, yeah."

"Ha! I knew it!"

"This is no time to gloat. Michonne, you've got to promise you won't say anything to Daryl. This could be the biggest opportunity of his life, and I don't want to be the one that wrecks this for him."

"Uh, what? You didn't get yourself pregnant. He had a hand in it, too. Well, maybe not a hand, but you get it."

"Stop," Carol groaned. "Look, just promise me you won't say anything."

"Hey, it's not my place to say a word about it, but I think you should tell him. Now."

"Look, he's excited about this. I know he is. This is huge for him."

"Yeah, and so is finding out he's gonna be a father."

"I'll…I'll tell him. I will. I just want to wait until we find out what this job offer might be. Hey, I've gotta go. He'll be wondering where I am. I'll call you tonight, ok?"

"You better. Safe flight, ok?"

"Thanks." Carol ended the call and tucked her phone into her purse. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath before heading back out to find Daryl waiting by a set of soda machines.

"Thought you fell in," he teased.

"Charming," she replied with a smile, tucking her arm through his and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "We should celebrate."

"Celebrate?"

"Yeah. After your meeting, we should celebrate this amazing opportunity."

"We don't even know what it is yet."

"It's going to be great. I can feel it. This is good." She gave him a bright smile, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"You got a great new job, I might be gettin' one, too. What's gonna happen next?"

"Oh, I dunno," Carol said softly as they started toward their terminal. "Your guess is as good as mine."

...

Carol cupped her hands under the cold stream and leaned down to splash the water against her flushed face. She grabbed for a paper towel and dried herself off. Of all the times to start having morning sickness, it had to be in the middle of the afternoon while Daryl was having this meeting of his.

She cupped her hands under the water again and took a sip, swishing the cold liquid around before spitting it out in the sink. She groaned a little and turned off the tap with shaky hands.

When she was certain she wasn't going to be sick again, she made her way out into the hallway, the soles of her comfy travel shoes squeaking along the shiny tile floor. It was a quarter to five, and Carol could hear muffled chatter coming from the conference room Daryl had stepped into forty five minutes ago. Her hands were sweaty, and her pulse was racing as if she were the one being interviewed.

She shot a few texts back and forth with Michonne, and the next thing she knew, she felt a pair of hands at her hips for the briefest of moments before she was being wrapped up in a pair of strong, sturdy arms. Then his breath tickled her ear, and she nearly melted against his chest.

"Four weeks, all expenses paid. Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Red Rocks. A whole month, and I leave Sunday."

"Oh my God, Daryl. That's…that's amazing!" She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And if they like the portfolio I put together, they're talkin' about giving me a whole issue. A whole fuckin' issue of their magazine, Carol."

"That's…Daryl, I'm so happy for you." She held tightly to him and kissed him, smiling as her eyes glistened with tears.

"We're talkin' cross-country road trips. And we're talkin' big name stores carry this magazine. I can't believe it. I never woulda thought…"

"You deserve this," Carol insisted, cupping his face with her hands. "I'm so proud of you, and I'm so happy. This is…this is amazing. You told them yes, right? You better have told them yes!"

"I did, but I ain't gonna like bein' away from you. You get through this breakout story, and you'll come with me on the next run, alright?"

"Well, I..." _What the hell am I supposed to say? I can't, because I'll be too busy growing your child?_ "I can talk to Andrea. Maybe she'll have me write up a piece on sexy bikers who have a keen eye for photography." She grinned and kissed him again. "I love you."

"Love you. Thanks."

"I didn't do anything. This was all you," she reminded him. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go celebrate."

...

Carol tossed the damp towel into the hamper and slid on a silk nightgown. Well, there really wasn't much to it, so it might as well have been a slip. She gave herself a once over in the mirror, running her fingers through her damp, curly hair. She stood there, looking down, lifting the gown just enough to reveal her flat belly. She turned and glanced at herself in the mirror, looking for any sign of pregnancy. She bit her bottom lip and pressed her hand against her warm skin, trying to wrap her head around the fact that there was an actual living thing inside of her, growing and turning into something she never expected to have so early.

"You coming out?" She flinched and tugged her gown back down as Daryl came walking in. "Everything ok?" She turned to face him, and his gaze was immediately drawn down her freckled chest and to the swell of her breasts and how the gown hugged them in just the right away. "You look…wow."

"'Wow,' huh? I can handle 'wow.'" Daryl came closer, pulling her hips into his hands, bringing her close to kiss her softly. When he pulled back, she sighed, and he tilted her chin up, gazing into her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just…tired. I'm glad to be home. C'mon. Let's go to bed." She took his hand in hers and led him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. The entire way, her pulse pounded in her ears, and it felt like she was moving in slow motion.

By the time Carol crawled onto her side of the bed, she was chewing her lip in that way that he knew that she had something on her mind.

"Alright, talk to me," he urged, flopping down onto his side of the bed.

"I was just thinking about last night on the porch at mom and dad's house."

"Yeah?"

"How we were talking about kids and babies. I just…I keep thinking about it."

"Hell, Shane shouldn't have brought it up. Think he only said somethin' to try to get a rise outta you. I ain't in no hurry, I hope ya know that. I mean, yeah, _someday_. I don't want ya to think I'm the kinda guy that likes his woman to be barefoot and pregnant, you know? When we're both ready, when things settle down, if it happens, it happens."

"You…when we're both ready." She took a shaky breath, feeling a little dizzy at the same time.

"Yeah. I don't wanna rush this. Things are good, y'know? Things are great. You got this great new job, and I got this photography thing." He chuckled and leaned back against his pillow. "Hell, could you imagine us tryin' to juggle all this and a kid at the same time? Now? We ain't crazy."

"Ha, no. We're not crazy." She lay back against her pillow.

"When it does happen? What would ya want?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, a boy or a girl?"

"Oh. Um, I'm…I wouldn't care. I just want a happy baby." She instinctively placed her hand against her stomach but quickly moved it away before he noticed.

"We'll have that," he promised. "'Til then, tryin' will be the best part, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and Carol would have rolled her eyes if her mind wasn't already screaming with conflict.

"Yeah," she choked out. "It'll be great." That was when he shifted, crawling over her and pressing kisses along her collarbone.

"'Til then, we can have fun practicin'."

"Practice," she said with a pained smile, hoping she could pass it off as playful annoyance. "You mean pretending?" He chuckled then, and she fell back against the pillows, giving herself over to him fully. She closed her eyes as he began to slide his hand up her thigh, and she let go, deciding to put her anxieties on hold and enjoy this, enjoy him.

...

"He's not ready," Carol insisted with a shake of her head as she finished saving a file onto her desktop.

"How do you know?"

"He physically said the words," Carol replied. "I mean, with my new job and his new photography thing, there's no time for a baby. He said that."

"And did you physically say the words I told you to say? Did you tell him you're pregnant?" Michonne folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow, trying her damndest to look stern. She had a way of making her best friend talk with just a glance, but today, Carol was avoiding the best friend stare at all costs.

"I couldn't. I was freaked out. Here he was telling me that someday we'd have kids when we're both ready, and I'm already growing a human inside of me! I mean, how do you tell your new boyfriend that you're knocked up when he's talking about having kids someday, years from now?"

"You need to tell him. Right now." Michonne reached over the desk and picked up Carol's cell phone. "You need to call him and tell him, because if you push it off much longer, the kid can tell him when it pops out looking just like Daryl."

"I don't know what to do. He leaves on Sunday, and I've got my first doctor's appointment Monday. You know what? Maybe I'm not even pregnant. Maybe it was a false positive."

"Three false positives?" Michonne asked. "Sweetie, are you drunk?" She picked up Carol's coffee cup and sniffed it. "Oh, and coffee? Not good for baby Mischa."

"It's decaf." Carol snatched the cup out of Michonne's hands. "I can't completely give up all of my needs. And Mischa?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd want to just want to flat out use Michonne, so I'm offering an alternative." She batted her eyelashes and gave Carol a bright smile.

"Oh, stop," Carol grumbled.

"You'll feel better if you just tell him."

"And do you really think he'd go on this trip if I tell him I'm pregnant and freaking out and don't know how the hell I'm going to be somebody's mom?"

"Good point," Michonne said slowly. "Look, do you want this baby?"

"I'm terrified, Michonne. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm thrilled. And I want Daryl to be thrilled too, but after that talk last night…"

"Well, he doesn't even know you're pregnant. He thinks you're on the same page as him about having babies."

"Well, I was until I found out we already have one."

"Trust me. If you tell him, he'll be thrilled."

"He'll also be distracted. This trip is going to be so good for him. Who knows what other opportunities it'll open up? If he's all distracted thinking about rushing to get back home sooner, his work will be compromised. I want him to go with a clear head."

"God, you are like the world's best girlfriend, even with your white lies."

"Thanks," Carol grumbled.

"No, I mean, you're really willing to go through a whole month of this pregnancy without him knowing just so his work won't suffer? I mean, really. That's…a whole other level of selflessness."

"I'm not completely selfless. I'm afraid that once he does find out, he's going to be freaked out. I mean, I love Daryl with everything I have, but we're so new."

"You guys have been pining for each other forever. You're not brand new. You took your relationship to a new level, and you found something worth having, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Now you're having a baby, and that's a good thing. I for one am happy to be an auntie. I love you, and I'm here for you for anything and everything. You know that, right?"

"Thanks, Mich. I love you, too."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Four Weeks

Daryl groaned, rolling over in the bed to find her side empty and cold. Squinting into the impossibly bright red digits of the alarm clock, he was surprised to find that it was only three thirty. She was off on Sunday, and he had a month long deadline, so it wasn't like he had to leave on someone else's schedule.

He groaned, rubbing his eyes as he got out of bed and pulled a pair of sweats on. It was a tad chilly to be walking around naked.

He found her sitting on the couch with her laptop on her lap. She had her head back, and her eyes were closed, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her with her hair piled messily on top of her head with her fuzzy slippers with the hole in one toe skirting under the rug.

"Carol?" he asked from the doorway. She didn't wake, so he moved to take the laptop off of her lap. The screen was dark and probably had been for some time given that the computer wasn't even warm. "Hey." She moaned softly in her sleep, and Daryl gently shook her shoulder. "Carol."

"Hmm? What…what time is it?"

"Three thirty," he said quietly. "What're you doin' up?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said with a chuckle. "So I got up to type up some notes from those interviews I did on Friday."

"Guess it was boring enough to put you to sleep."

"Ha. Ha," she said dryly. Since her meeting Thursday, she'd been completely immersed in interviews and researching the company and the evidence found in the case against them in the illegal dumping of chemicals into local waters. She was slowly but surely getting enough information for several articles, but it was wearing her out.

"You ok?" he asked, helping her stand. She nodded, only he knew that was completely bullshit. "You want a drink?"

"That's the last thing I need," she laughed. _Though I'd take one in a minute if I wasn't knocked up with your kid._ He led her back to the bedroom, and she flopped down on the bed with a sigh.

"You comin' down with somethin'? You're pale."

"I'm fine," she promised. _Just tell him, you idiot!_ "Are you excited?"

"Yeah. Ain't been on a road trip since I drove out here. 'Course, I never saw the parts of the country I'm gonna see now. You sure you're ok with me goin'?"

"Daryl, I'm fine," she assured him, and he slid under the covers and pulled her close. She rested her head and her hand against his chest, and she traced slow circles around his nipple with her fingertip. "You'll be busy with that, I'll be busy with work, and we can talk and Skype every night."

"You gonna send me nudes?"

"Shut up," she laughed, burying her face against his neck.

"C'mon, I might get lonely."

"Yeah?" she asked, linking her fingers with his and pressing kisses to his knuckles. "That's what your hand is for, Pookie."

"So, that's a no?" He flipped her onto her back and she laughed against his mouth as he kissed her.

"What're you doing, jerk?"

"Makin' a memory to get me through the next four weeks?"

"Oh, is that it?" she giggled. "What about me?"

"You've got your…you know, your thing in the drawer."

"Really?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow. "You think that makes up for the real thing?"

"Well, it's…not as big as mine, I'll give you that."

"Oh my God, you're ridiculous!" she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "At the risk of inflating your already titanic ego, there's _nothing_ like the real thing. At least not with you." She kissed his nose, and he nibbled hers. Then his hand began to make its way up her shirt and over her breast. "Really? It's three thirty in the morning?"

"You're up. I'm definitely up." He wiggled his brows at her, and she grinned, shaking her head.

"You're insatiable." She tightened her arms around his neck, sighing softly as she relaxed in his arms and tried not to think about the fact that he was leaving for a whole month in just a few hours.

...

"Carol?"

"I'm fine."

"I ain't leavin'."

"What?!"

"I ain't leavin' if you're sick."

"I'm not sick." She flushed the toilet, and he could hear her fiddling with something at the sink.

"You just puked in the toilet. You're sick."

"Daryl, it's nothing. I'm fine," Carol promised. "It's just my nerves. I've been stressed out this week with work, and…"

"It's Sunday. You don't work today." He narrowed his eyes at her when she came walking out of the bathroom smelling minty fresh.

"Daryl, I just ate breakfast too fast," she insisted. "Please stop talking about me getting sick, because I'll get sick again."

"I ain't leavin'."

"Oh my God, go!" Carol groaned. "Don't make me push you out the door."

"I don't wanna leave you alone. Maybe I should take you to the doctor, or…"

"Daryl, I love you. I'm going to miss you. But I can't miss you unless you leave." She folded her arms across her chest as he finished zipping up his duffel bag. "In fact, if I _am_ sick, the last thing you need to do is get sick, too." Daryl clearly wasn't impressed with Carol's excuses. "Look, if I promise to have Michonne come over and keep me company, will you please go on your trip? Because I don't want my vomit to be the reason you miss out on all your hopes and dreams."

"My hopes and dreams are standin' right in front of me," he pointed out.

"Oh, that's so sweet. And such crap." She gave him a peck on the lips and then patted his cheek. "My vomit's not going to be the reason you get a tear in your eye every time you pass the published book of photographs taken by the guy who took your place because your girlfriend had a stomach ache."

"So you _do_ feel sick?"

"Oh my God. If you don't go, I'll go _for_ you." Daryl chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, you win. But I'm callin' you in an hour."

"You better," she grinned. He leaned in to kiss her, and she put her hand against his mouth. "I better brush first. Vomit mouth, remember?"

"That's the hottest thing I've ever heard," he joked. "I'll take these down to the truck."

"I'll be down in a minute." She smiled, and he loosened his grip on her waist long enough for her to slip away and back to the bathroom. When he heard the tap running, he headed out into the living room and grabbed her laptop. He quickly created a new folder on the desktop and plugged in his USB. Within moments, it was filled with his own private collection of photos they'd taken together since the day they'd first met. The last document in the folder was a letter he'd typed out earlier that morning before she'd woken up. The document was titled "READ ME AT NINE TONIGHT."

...

"That's everything," Daryl said quietly, leaning back against the truck as Carol stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I guess so," she sighed. "I packed you a lunch. It's in the cooler on the passenger's side. Promise you'll call me?"

"I promise. And you promise you'll call Michonne? And that you won't work all day? Watch a movie, rest, put your feet up."

"Aw, look at you taking care of me," she said with a grin. "Like always."

"That's what we do." He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, keeping his gaze locked on hers as he brushed a soft kiss over her knuckles. "Maybe I can cut the trip short. I'll try to get back sooner. Hell, I know Axel would be happy. Still can't believe they're holdin' my job for me." He cleared his throat when Carol leaned in to kiss him.

"Just be careful. You can call me in the middle of the night. I don't care. Wake me up."

"Bye, brat," he said with a grin..

"Bye, jerk." She kissed him softly then, running her fingers through his hair as his hands tugged at her hips. "Four weeks. We can do this."

"Just four weeks," he agreed. "I love you."

"Love you, too," she murmured, pulling back to look on his eyes. She bit her lip then, and her gaze faltered, and for a moment, she looked like she could cry. "You should go. Go." She brushed her thumb over his kiss-swollen lip, and he nodded, resting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes then, breathing in the scent of him, letting the memory of this feeling nestle against her heart. He turned away, and she swallowed back the urge to cry.

 _Tell him!_

"Daryl, I…I need to tell you something," she said softly. He turned then, one hand on the door handle of the truck, the other linked with hers.

"Yeah?" he asked, running his thumb over her knuckles.

"I'm…" She took a deep breath and smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm the kind of girl that cries when her boyfriend goes away. I hope you can live with that." Daryl smiled then, swallowing the lump in his throat, and he cupped her chin with his hand before placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah," he promised. "I think I can live with that." And then he was in the truck and driving away, and she wasn't holding the tears back anymore. But a weight had been lifted. She'd done the right thing. He could go with a clear head, and when he came home, she could tell him, and they could celebrate together. Four more weeks. Just four.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Letter

Carol nearly fell out of bed clamoring for her phone when it began to ring. Right on time, Daryl called an hour into his trip.

"Hey." He could hear the smile in her voice. "Where are you?"

"Just outside the city. Traffic's a bitch. Stopped to top the tank off. Figured if they're payin' for it, I might as well, right?"

"Right," she laughed.

"So you restin'?"

"I'm laying down," she promised. "And I called Michonne. She's coming over for movies and a sexy pillow fight."

"Tease," he snorted. "So, you really didn't open your computer?"

"What?"

"I left something for you. But you ain't allowed to read it 'til nine tonight."

"Why nine?"

"'Cause I said so," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, well, then that makes all the difference. I'll read it tonight, then."

"Michonne's really comin' over?"

"I didn't call her," she said with a groan. "I'm fine, Daryl. I'm feeling better."

"Just promise me ya ain't gonna push yourself. I know you love your job, but ya don't need to make yourself sick. You don't need to push too hard, 'cause you're already great at what you do."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence." She chewed her bottom lip as she leaned back against the pillows. "This place is too quiet. I already forget what you look like. I'm afraid I won't even know who you are when you come home." She sighed dramatically, and she could almost hear Daryl roll his eyes.

"I think you'll live."

"I might die," she offered.

"Don't die. Then I won't get any nudes."

"What is it with you and nudes? Go watch a porno or something."

"Hey, there's an idea." He laughed then, and she smiled. "Nah, I got my memories to keep me nice and warm at night. If ya need some help, I can always send a dick pic."

"Oh my God," she laughed. "I hate you."

"I gotta get goin'. I'll call you as soon as I stop for the night."

"Ok," Carol murmured. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

Two seconds after she ended the call, she was scrambling across the bed and out into the living room. She quickly grabbed her laptop and opened it up, finding the folder he'd left for her relatively quickly. The first thing she did was click through the pictures, smiling as she saw each one for the first time in a long while. Most of them she didn't even remember at first, but the memories came flooding back as she clicked through, watching their relationship develop through a series of snapshots.

When she was done, she was practically putty, and she hovered over the document long enough to decide to go ahead and read it. The first thing she read made her laugh out loud.

 _I knew you wouldn't wait until nine, you cheater. You probably just got off the phone with me and ran for the living room, right? That's ok._

 _Hey, I just wanted to tell you something I never told you before. The first time we met that first day of classes wasn't the first time I saw you. It was earlier that day. You were in the bookstore, and you were trying to reach a book on the top shelf in the History section. I remember you were so damned cute standing on your tiptoes, biting your lip in concentration. I was too nervous to come over and try to be all smooth and suave, so I let you walk away. Then I grabbed the book and I put it down somewhere you'd see it. I remember how you looked so relieved to find it so you didn't have to go hunt down somebody to grab it for you._

 _I don't know why I thought about that when I was lying there awake this morning. I was watching you sleep, and you bit your lip in your sleep. I think that was it. I know it's nothing special. And I promise I didn't stalk you the rest of the day like some creep, but when we ran into each other again, I wasn't going to miss a chance to say hi to you again._

 _I just wanted to tell you that from the first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I ever saw. You still are. And I know things are still new, and I know we're both busy with so much right now. But I wanted you to know that everything we have is worth holding onto. Going to Nebraska with you just proved everything I already knew. I want to make a life with you. Whatever happens, happens. It's an adventure, and I want to take it with you._

 _I love you, brat._

 _Daryl_

By the point, Carol's lip was trembling, and she was blinking back tears. She could have blamed it on the hormones, but she knew that really wasn't the case. But just as she was about to close the file, she saw he wasn't quite done. She scrolled down to find he'd added something else.

 _P.S. I'm writing this part as you're in the bathroom brushing your teeth. I'm guessing you didn't mean for me to see it, but when I was finished transferring this file, your browser popped up to a webpage talking about the size of our baby. I'm guessing I'm not supposed to know just yet, and if I know you at all, you were probably holding off on telling me because you thought I'd freak out or that I'd not go on my trip._

 _I won't lie, I want to call off the trip, but I also know that this is something that_ you _want, too. You really want this for me, and you've been there supporting me since day one with this photography thing. Now go look out the window and out to the street._

Carol put her hand over her mouth, quickly pushing her laptop off onto the couch cushion. She scrambled to the window to find Daryl's truck parked out front. He was leaning against the back looking up at their apartment window. He gave her a sheepish wave, and she wasn't sure whether she should throw something at him or run and hug him like she hadn't seen him in years.

"You…oh my God," Carol choked out.

"You gonna come kiss the father of your child or what?"

"You jerk!" she laughed.

"Time's wastin', sweetheart." At that, Carol took off toward the door, and she was downstairs and out onto the sidewalk in less than a minute.

"You weren't supposed to know," she choked out, stopping within a few feet of him.

"M'sorry 'bout that."

"What would you have done if I'd waited 'til nine to read it?"

"I woulda stood out here all day 'til you figured it out. You were bound to look out the window or go outside at some point, right? 'Sides, I know you better'n that. I knew you'd read it the second we were done talkin'."

"Oh my God," she laughed, finally closing the gap as he took her into his arms. "I didn't know how to tell you. I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't," he replied, shaking his head and gently caressing her cheek with his fingertips. "Was I right?"

"You were right," she sniffled. "I thought you wouldn't go."

"I don't wanna go."

"Yes you do," Carol laughed. "You do. And I want you to. This is huge, Daryl."

"Nothin's bigger than this." He placed his hand on her stomach. "When'd you know?"

"In Nebraska. It's been killing me not telling you. But then we talked about things, and you said _someday_ , and…"

"Someday. Tomorrow. Next week. I don't care. This is…Carol, we're havin' a baby." She smiled then and bit her bottom lip.

"Yeah. I, um...I haven't even been to the doctor yet, but, um, I took three home tests last week, and I took another this morning."

"Holy shit," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "This is really happenin'."

"Yeah. It really is. You're…you want this?"

"You have no idea how much I want this. This is us. Our kid." He pulled her in close again, and she sighed, burying her face against his neck and breathing in that intoxicating scent. "I'll stay tonight. We can celebrate. Hell, I can call them and have them cancel the whole trip or put it on hold until after..." She put her finger against his lips.

"We can celebrate when you get back," she urged, pushing on his chest a little. "This is what I didn't want. I didn't want you putting anything on hold. I want you to go."

"You tryin' to get rid of me?"

"Yep," she laughed.

"I don't want ya goin' through this alone."

"It's four weeks. I promise, you'll be there for every swollen ankle, weird craving and mood swing."

"Sounds hot. Can't wait," he teased.

"You're twisted," she laughed. "I love you."

"I love you," he murmured, kissing her once again. "Are you scared?"

"I'm terrified. And I'm happy. I think that's healthy, right?"

"Hope so, 'cause I'm feelin' the same way."

"Good," Carol laughed. "I'm glad I'm not alone here."

"You ain't never gonna be alone. I'll be callin' you so much while I'm gone you'll probably start ignorin' my calls."

"Never," she promised. "Now get out of here before I change my mind and start crying and begging you to stay."

"I can…"

"Go!" she laughed. "I'll just be here soaking in the fascinating world of illegal chemical dumping." She saw his brow crease in concern. "Don't worry. I'm not in any danger. Neither is the baby." She kissed him again. "Now do you feel better?"

"Better," he said with a nod. "But I still don't like this."

"I know," she murmured softly, pressing her lips against his. "We'll figure it all out. We will. Ok?" He nodded. "I love you." He kissed her again, pulling her closer, wrapping her up in his embrace.

And when he finally pulled out on the road, he had a lump in his throat and a tugging in his chest. But the further he got from home, the clearer her face and her smile became in his mind. She was happy. And she was his. And they were starting something new and scary and wonderful together, and all he knew was that this was everything he'd never wanted, and he couldn't wait to get back home to her and to this new life that he'd never counted on before.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Under the Stars

He'd never really thought much about having kids. The idea of being a father hadn't ever appealed to him, as he couldn't ever imagine himself finding the kind of woman that would want to settle down and have a family.

Then he'd met Carol, and everything he'd never even let himself think about having had suddenly found their way into his dreams and into his thoughts every time he looked at her. But it hadn't been until the moment he'd realized she was pregnant that he knew, without a doubt, this was what he wanted. With her.

He was just packing his camera away under the dim light of the lantern in his tent when his phone rang. He hadn't expected reception where he was at, but he wasn't going to waste it. He smiled when he saw that it was her calling.

"Daryl Dixon, Gigolo Services. $1000 an hour, 500 more if it's extra kinky."

"Hey. Where are you?"

"Pyramid Lake. This place is amazing. The water's an insane blue, and I'm getting some really awesome pictures."

"Unofficially?"

"Officially and unofficially. I think I took like 300 yesterday of some trees for my own personal collection. I have a problem."

"That's ok," Carol laughed. "Hey. I'm going to text you something in a few minutes."

"Oh yeah?" he asked suggestively.

"And before you ask, no, hell didn't freeze over. Sorry to disappoint you, Pookie, but my clothes are staying on." She heard him groan, but she knew he was teasing.

"Oh, it's baby doctor day. What happened?"

"Well, I _am_ pregnant," Carol confirmed. "Baby's due date is sometime in early June. So we have about eight months to prepare ourselves for Mason-Dixon spawn."

"That's the name."

"No!"

"Aw, c'mon. He'd be the funny kid, but he'd also be the guy that gets all the ladies."

"Now that you put it that way, _hell no._ " Daryl snorted, and he lay back against the travel pillow tucked under his head. "I miss you."

"Me too," he said quietly. "It's beautiful out here. Just wish you were with me."

"Maybe someday we can pack up, and the three of us can see some of these places, too."

"Yeah. We could quit our jobs, buy an RV and just travel the country."

"Ok, you went too far," she laughed. "Oh! I submitted a couple of pieces to Andrea this afternoon, and she's really happy with my work on this case, so far."

"Good. You tell her about the baby?"

"I will. I just don't want to share so soon, you know? I don't want something to happen, you know?"

"Nothing's gonna happen to our kid. You kidding? A kid of ours? He's gonna be fine."

"Or she," Carol offered.

"Maybe they're three of 'em in there. One of each and a spare."

"Bite your tongue, Dixon."

"So, who else knows?"

"Just Michonne. I'm not telling my mother anything. She'll probably insist on moving in or us moving there. And I'm not ready for that just yet. Could you imagine?"

"Don't wanna," he admitted. "Hey, but at least your mom cares."

"Do you ever think about reaching out to Merle?" Carol asked quietly.

"Where the hell'd that come from?"

"He's your family. Our baby's Uncle."

"Merle'd choke on his own tongue if he thought he had to clean himself and be a role model for somebody, so don't expect him to come marchin' into town ready to shower gifts upon his only flesh and blood niece or nephew." A beat. "Mom woulda loved havin' a grandbaby though. Dad was too drunk half the time to give a shit about most anything, but mom? Yeah, she'd have been a good grandma."

"I never hear you talk about her."

"She's gone," he said quietly. "After my daddy up and left, it was like part of her left with him. Then she was gone, and I still ain't sure how I made it out of Georgia. Merle stepped up long enough to get me outta high school, threatened to beat my ass if I didn't study hard to make somethin' of myself. Guess I got him to thank for that."

"I'd like to meet him someday," Carol said quietly. "You've seen where I came from. I'd like to see where you grew up. Meet the people you knew."

"You really don't," he promised. "I mean, sure, I'd like Merle to be around. But the rest of it…the rest of it ain't important."

"Hey, I love you. I want our baby to know about your family. Just because it's not something you're proud of doesn't mean it's not important in making who the man you are now." She sighed softly. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the lake and the blue water."

"It's dark now, but earlier, the water was so still you could see the reflection of the pyramid, like it was fallin' into itself. I got a picture of it. He poked his head out of his tent, watching the moonlight and twinkling stars ripple in the water. "I'll bring you here someday."

"I should let you go," she murmured softly. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Love you," he murmured. "Goodnight."

"Night." Daryl lay back in his tent again, and it was only a few moments before his phone buzzed in his hand, and he quickly opened the text to find a fuzzy, black and white mass of swirls on his screen. Under the picture was a smiley face and these words: _MASON-DIXON'S FIRST PICTURE. GOODNIGHT, DADDY._


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Interview

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Mr. Blake," Carol said with a professional smile as she shook the man's soft and cool hand. He smiled at her then, eyes crinkling with the first signs of age, but his perfect, pearly white smile distracted from his cold eyes. Oh, she could tell he was used to charming the socks—and probably the pants, in some cases—off of people. "I was surprised you agreed to an interview, given the fact that your company is being painted so badly by the press."

"That's exactly why I called you here. You see, we've been getting nothing but negative attention, and I think it's time I tell _my_ side of the story. After all, this is my company, and I make all of the executive decisions when it comes to the ins and outs of Blake Processing. What happens when you create things? You end up with waste. Waste has to go somewhere, doesn't it? Take a look at this." He handed her a paper, and Carol scanned over it briefly. "Please, have a seat." He motioned for her to take a seat in the char across the desk from him.

Once they were seated, Carol cleared her throat and scanned over the paper again.

"It appears to be an agreement between you and…"

"Mr. Greene."

"Mr. Greene, the farmer whose land, livestock and family your…waste has affected."

"Signed two years ago. I pay him a percentage because my plant borders his property, and he doesn't ask questions."

"Maybe he should have been asking questions, Mr. Blake," Carol said cooly. "He's lost livestock, and his own daughter has gotten sick from the crops that edge the water that splits the property."

"There's no proof that her illness stemmed from the runoff flowing into the stream. There's a damn and a reservoir reserved solely for maintaining the waste until it's evacuated, which it is, twice a week."

"But it's still trickling into the stream, making people sick."

"As I said, Miss Mason, there was no evidence that the girl was poisoned by any unfortunate runoff that might have contaminated the water."

"Oh? So, the complete payoff of Maggie Greene's hospital bills was just your way of being nice?"

"Look, Miss Mason, I'm not a stupid man. I know how to make a dollar, and I know how to make bad press go away." Carol eyed him from across the desk, watching the way he folded his hands in front of him as if he held all the power. He looked at her like a principal would look at an unruly student.

"Can I quote you on that, Mr. Blake?" Carol asked, standing up quickly as Phillip rose from his chair.

"You can't prove anything," Blake said with a smirk.

"Maybe I can't, but the test results on the water don't lie. Mr. Blake, you realize it's only a matter of time before your company is shut down and you are sued out of all those millions that make you feel so powerful, don't you?" Phillip came around the desk then, seeming to grow a foot in height as he drew nearer, reaching out to grab her firmly by the arm. "Get your hands off of me." Her eyes bore up into his, and that smug smile spread across his face.

"I'd watch what you write in that article, Ms. Mason. We can improve, we can clean up, and we can donate half of our proceeds to charity. We can fix this. But you? You're, what, an amateur, I assume. If you'd come in with a tape recorder instead of a pad and pen, I might have taken you more seriously. You're green, and I'm guessing this is supposed to be your breakout story. Stick to the minor leagues, Miss Mason. You don't want to strike out before you even get a chance to play the game, do you?"

"Take your _hands_ off of me," she warned again.

"Now come on, Miss Mason. We can work out a deal here. You do something for me, and maybe I won't threaten to sue The Daily News for every little penny they've got. What do you say?"

...

"Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed," Carol groaned, burying her face in her hands as she sat behind her desk. Michonne sat down across from her, waiting for her friend to tell her exactly why she'd cut her interview short and come rushing back to the office with her gaze trained at the floor.

"What happened?" Michonne asked, tapping her fingertips against the desk.

"That's what I'd like to know," Andrea agreed, rushing into Carol's office and shutting the door. "I just got an extremely angry phone call from Phillip Blake himself. You were supposed to go get his side of the story, not piss him off."

"I know! I'm sorry," Carol groaned.

"He was so angry he refused to speak to anyone else from TDN. I need you to tell me exactly what happened, Carol, because even I couldn't get it out of him."

"He's an asshole," Carol finally bit out. "He grabbed me, he threatened me, and then I threw up all over his thousand dollar suit."

"He _threatened_ you?" Andrea asked. "Did he…what did he say?"

"Well, in not so many words, he pretty much threatened to sue if I wrote a negative piece on him. He wanted me to do something for _him_."

"Oh, that prick," Andrea groaned. "I always knew he was a scumbag, but this…"

"Look, maybe you should take me off of this story," Carol offered.

"Did he sexually harass you?"

"No," Carol replied. "He's not stupid. But he's arrogant, and he thinks he's untouchable."

"So he grabbed you, threatened to sue us if you didn't do something for him, whatever that something might be, and then you threw up on him?"

"Yeah," Carol groaned sheepishly.

"Good girl," Andrea said with a nod. Carol's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I've met Phillip Blake. He thinks he's God's gift to women. He thinks if he throws his weight and his power around, he can get any woman to do anything for him. Trust me, he's bluffing. He won't sue. He was just trying to scare you. You write that story, and don't think anything of it."

"But he'll sue."

"Let him try," Andrea said with a shrug. "Little does he know that the key to this whole thing should be on my desk first thing tomorrow morning."

"What?" Carol asked with surprise.

"Oh, just a little undercover video surveillance of Phillip Blake at the dump site just three days ago."

"You're serious?" Carol asked.

"According to my source, it's grainy, because it was taken from quite a distance, but you can still tell it's him. This is our big break. I'm turning it over to the judge first thing tomorrow, after I see it for myself, of course."

"That's great, Andrea," Carol said with a relieved sigh.

"She's not going to have to worry about some kind of retaliation, is she?" Michonne asked. "I mean, it sounds like Blake's pretty pissed off about this whole thing."

"Believe me, the only one Blake's going to be pissed at is me when he finds out I'm the one dropping the tape off. You don't have anything to worry about, Carol."

"Carol, are you gonna…I mean, she needs to know," Michonne said, raising her eyebrows in urging. Carol sighed and glanced at a curious Andrea.

"What's going on? Is there something I need to know about?"

"Maybe," Carol offered. She sighed and ran her fingers through her long curls. "Alright, I'm pregnant. Michonne's a little freaked out, worried something might happen."

"Oh Christ," Andrea murmured, putting her hand to her forehead.

"Hey, it's not going to affect my work at all. I'll…"

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I'm just kicking myself that I sent a pregnant woman to interview that bastard. I was wary enough to send you without knowing you were pregnant, but you insisted. You're sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine. He grabbed me, but I'm fine. And please don't _not_ give me jobs just because you think I can't handle it because I'm pregnant. I don't need the kid-gloves treatment. I'm fine, and I can do my job just fine. I'll tell you if it's too much for me, alright?"

"Agreed," Andrea said with a nod. "But you'll understand if I don't send you for anymore dealings with Blake, right?"

"Yeah, I could definitely go the rest of my life without being in his presence, and I think I'd be just fine with that."

"Good," Michonne muttered. "I'm only sorry I didn't get to see you throw up on him. That would have been a Kodak moment."

...

"You threw up on the guy?"

"I didn't mean to?"

"That's awesome," Daryl laughed. Carol rolled her eyes at him as sat on the couch with her phone in her hand. "I saw that."

"Right," Carol laughed. Video chat had its disadvantages sometimes.

"So, this asshole's going down, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Big time, according to Andrea, if the tape is legit, anyway." She smiled then, and the video jostled as Daryl moved to crawl out of his tent. She'd omitted the fact that Mr. Blake had grabbed her and gotten nasty with her, because she was pretty sure that Daryl would be tearing back home at the speed of light to get back to her and to beat the snot out of the asshole that had threatened her. So, she'd left that bit out for the sake of peace.

"Good," he replied. "Hey, you gotta see this. There's just enough sunlight left, I think you'll be able to see it." He was clearly up in the mountains somewhere, as when he pointed the camera toward the setting sun, Carol gasped at the beauty of the peaks higher and lower, red and brown and all kinds of colors swirling together as the day faded into night.

"Oh my God, it's so beautiful out there."

"Oh, just wait 'til you see the pictures I took last night. There's this place at Yellowstone called the Grand Prismatic Spring. Ain't never seen nothin' like it before. The colors are just…it's crazy. It's beautiful. We gotta visit that place with Mason-Dixon someday."

"I'll put that on the list," she laughed.

"Let me see it."

"Daryl," she groaned. "You saw it yesterday. You really want to see it again?"

"Always," he replied. Carol sighed when he turned the phone back toward his face and gave her a grin. "You are _crazy_. It hasn't changed one bit since yesterday. It's not gonna be any different tomorrow or the day after."

"I wanna see it. C'mon."

"Oh, fine." She reached down, tugging her sweats down just over her hips and raised her shirt. "See? Still nothing. No bump. No nothing."

"Not nothin'. Mason-Dixon's almost the size of an apple seed right now. Tiny, but still there. Not nothin'."

"You know what I meant," Carol said with an exasperated sigh.

"You still takin' pictures every day? I don't wanna miss this."

"By the time I get home, I'll definitely be showing, and you can take pictures every day and drive me crazy. Deal?"

"Deal. But you're still takin' pictures, right?"

"Yes, Daryl," she laughed. Everything went dark when Daryl went back to his tent. "Where'd you go? I can't see you."

"Can you hear me?"

"Mmm," she mused. "Yeah, I can hear you. You want me to let you go?"

"Nah. I'm gonna lay down, but will you talk to me 'til I fall asleep?"

"Oh, you're so needy," she teased. A beat. "I told Andrea today."

"Yeah? How'd that go?"

"Good," Carol replied with a smile. "She wasn't so horrified about my throwing up on Blake. At least there was a good reason, right? Actually, she was pretty amused by it, considering she hates his guts."

"Well, good. He's an asshole."

"You've never met him."

"Doesn't matter. He's an asshole, and I don't have to meet him to know that." Carol smiled at that, and she lay back on the couch, sighing softly. "You can get naked if you want. Probably more comfortable than those sweats."

"You realize that I know you can see me even though I can't see you, right?"

"Shit," he muttered. "You got me there."

"Go to sleep, jerk. I'll talk to you tomorrow night."

"Good night, brat. Love you."

"Love you," she whispered back. "Sweet dreams."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Hot and Bothered

Three weeks without him, and she was about to climb the walls. These nights were the worst. She'd get cold, so she'd snuggle under the covers. Then she'd be too warm, so she'd stick one leg out from under the covers. Then her leg would be cold, and her body would be hot, and tossing and turning would only make matters worse.

Her night had started fine. She'd watched a couple of movies and gone over some files from work, though she'd reminded herself that it was Friday night, and she needed to take her focus off of work for the weekend. It was one thing she'd promised Daryl before his trip. She needed to take some time for herself. She needed to unwind and de-stress, and normally she'd do that with a glass of wine. But since she currently had a guest in her uterus for the next several months, she couldn't very well do that.

So she'd forced herself to turn off the laptop and settle in for a night of mindless television and a good movie. When she'd barely been able to keep her eyes open waiting on his call, she'd retired to the bedroom. Then the insomnia had hit her, and all she could think about was how quiet the house was, how much she missed him being there. And then her thoughts had taken a turn, and she'd thought about how lonely it was without him, how she missed having him at her side, how she missed the way he touched her and looked at her and kissed her. Naturally, her skin had prickled and a fire had started swirling in her belly, and that was when she'd tried to force herself to sleep, and everything just went downhill from there.

The inevitable tossing and turning had only made it worse.

She had only just started to drift off to sleep when she heard a familiar ringtone from underneath her pillow. She answered the call quickly, letting out a breath of relief that she was now rescued from the cacophony of thoughts running through her mind.

"It's about time." Her voice was low and hoarse, and she could hear his voice catch in his throat.

"Did I wake ya?"

"No," she replied quickly. "I can't sleep. I'm miserable."

"What's wrong? You feel sick?"

"No…"

"You thinkin' about work?"

"No. No, I'm not."

"Everything ok with Michonne? With your folks?"

"Everyone's fine," she replied helplessly. "Everything's…fine.

"What's got ya so worked up then? Why can't ya sleep?" Silence. "Carol?"

"Oh my God, I'm horny, ok?" The next noise that escaped his throat was the cross between a gulp and a laugh, and she sighed heavily, slamming her head back against the pillow. "I need you. I need your penis. I just need sex. You happy?"

"Christ."

"Well, you asked." She could practically hear him run his hand over his face and through his hair. "It's been three weeks. And trust me, no amount of masturbation is helping. You've ruined me, Dixon. I'm pretty sure you've ruined my vagina, because I never used to have a problem getting myself off, and this might be too much information, but damn it, I might die."

"Uh," he choked out, "Carol?"

"I know. You'll be home next week, and we can have all the amazing sex we want, but that's too far away, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to spontaneously combust." She let out a whine and covered her face with her hand. "Hormones. Oh my God, the hormones. And we're not even two months in yet. Nobody ever warned me about the hormones doing… _this_." She sighed heavily and got up, throwing her pillow across the room.

"So you're basically giving me the ok to ravage you the second I get home?"

"Are you kidding? You'll be lucky if you can walk after I get done with you," Carol teased.

"Hold on a minute." She could hear him fumbling with the phone, and she couldn't help but move her hand down her stomach, wriggling her fingers under the waistband of her pants. "I know I've been a little prudish about pictures, but you can send me one, you know."

"You want me to send a dick pic?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it," she laughed.

"You must be hard up. Or maybe that's me."

"Funny," she laughed. "Picture, please."

"I'll do ya one better." He cleared his throat. "Lay back."

"What?"

"Just do it. C'mon."

"I'm lying down already," she offered. "One step ahead of you. Maybe two."

"Already?" he asked, before getting a soft moan out of her in response.

"I'm so wet, Daryl." She pushed two fingers inside, and she gasped softly.

"Holy shit," he grunted. "You don't waste no time, do ya?"

"Just talk to me," she bit out, getting a chuckle out of him. "It's not funny!"

"M'sorry," he murmured. "Alright. Now what do you want?"

"Your hands on me," she panted.

"Liar. C'mon." He heard her groan in frustration before finally letting out a breath she'd been holding.

"I want you to fuck me. I want you inside of me."

"Put your fingers inside yourself."

"Way ahead of you," she breathed.

"Add another one. I know you start with two."

"It's creepy that you know that," she laughed.

"Hey, focus." He heard her breath hitch again, and then she was moaning as she stroked herself closer to the edge. "First thing I'm gonna do when I see you is bury my face in that sweet pussy." Carol bit her lip at his sharp words, and she arched backward, pushing herself closer as his words echoed in her head.

"Then what?" she asked. "What're you gonna do to me?"

"I'm gonna…" A loud banging on the door had Carol sitting up in bed, panting heavily.

"Son of a bitch," she growled.

"What's wrong?"

"Some asshole one in the morning is a good time to knock on my door!"

"Forget about it. They probably got the wrong apartment. They'll figure it out. Just relax." Carol sighed and lay back down, closing her eyes.

"Ok, you were saying?"

"I'm gonna lick every…" The knocking came again, and Carol almost threw her phone across the room.

"Fuck!"

"What?"

"Hold on. I'm gonna take care of this." She got out of bed, tugging her pants back up her hips. "I don't care if it's the wrong apartment. You don't just bang on somebody's door in the middle of the night. We have _got_ to move out of the city when the baby gets here."

"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckled.

"Stay with me. Don't hang up."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Gotta hear all this." She heard a knock again, this time a little softer, and she sighed.

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but…I don't appreciate you banging on my door in the middle of the night!" She made quick work of unlocking the door, keeping one hand on the knob and her foot at the corner of the door just in case she had to shut it quickly.

The second she opened the door and saw his face, her jaw dropped, and the phone fell from her hand, clattering to the floor.

"You asshole!" she squealed, throwing the door open and practically leaping into his arms. He laughed then, holding her tight when she jumped up, locking her legs around his hips. He tumbled back against the wall, and her hands were already buried in his hair, and she was kissing him like it was the first and last time. When she finally came up for breath, she grinned down at him. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."

"Bad weather. Change of plans. They cut my trip a week short, but I'm still gettin' paid for the whole thing."

"So you're home?"

"M'home," he murmured against her lips as he walked her back into the apartment, keeping a firm grip on her thighs as she clenched them around his middle. "Missed you so damned much." He shut the front door with his foot and carefully reaching back to lock it.

"Me too," she breathed, as his hand slipped between them, pressing flat against her core through the fabric of her pants. She was hot, and he couldn't wait to be inside of her, to feel her surrounding him. "Now take off your pants."

"Fiesty. I like it," he murmured as he kissed her again. His hands were tugging on her shirt, and they moved like a perfectly oiled machine when she took over pulling her shirt off, and he moved his hands back to her hips. He buried his face between her breasts, sucking and nipping at the valley before he took a nipple between his teeth. She squirmed in his arms, crying out softly at the sensation as he teased her with his tongue before torturing her other breast in the exact same way.

When they finally tumbled into the bedroom, he put her down on the bed, making quick work of kicking off his shoes and tugging his shirt and pants off. Carol slid out of her sleep pants and her panties before kicking them aside and scooting back up to rest against the pillow.

"Whaddya want?" he asked, kneeling onto the bed and crawling over her.

"I think you had something in mind, didn't you?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him as a grin spread over his face.

"Yes, ma'am," he promised, kissing her softly before urging her to lay back. She moaned the moment he began his decent. He kissed her freckled chest, teasing her sweat-slick skin with this tongue, gently nibbling the underside of her breasts before he kissed her tummy, spreading his hand flat there for a moment. She was just barely beginning to show, and the sight of her belly poking out just slightly mesmerized him. He placed a kiss there, and she smiled, biting her lip before she ran her fingers through his hair.

And then he began to kiss lower, gently nibbling at her hip before she spread for him, and he buried his face between her legs, doing exactly as he'd promised just minutes ago on the phone. She buried her fingers deep in his hair, holding on as she arched back at the feeling of his tongue sliding over her wet folds. And then he was nipping at her clit and sliding his tongue inside of her, teasing her with an onslaught of sensations that had her wriggling against his face.

"Daryl!" she cried out. "Don't stop." A hurricane couldn't have stopped him, and he made quick work of bringing her over the edge, savoring the taste of her, the scent of her, the feel of her. It had been too long.

And when he finally crawled back up, settling his hips against hers and sliding home for the first time without a barrier between them, he had to dig his fingers into her hips and bury his moans against her neck to keep from losing himself right then and there.

She clung to him, pulling him closer, needing to feel him deeper, stronger. She bit into his shoulder and then licked at the skin to sooth it over. She reveled in the feel of his abs brushing over her pelvis, of his hands working their magic, of him stretching her in ways she had yearned for over the past few weeks.

And it was better than she remembered, if that was even possible.

When it was over, he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head and wrapping her up in his arms. The heat came off of him like it would from a furnace, but she didn't mind one bit. She smiled, curling against him, burying her face against his chest and inhaling the scent of him, memorizing the way his muscles strained and relaxed under her touch, the way his heart pounded against her fingertips like it beat only for her.

"Welcome home," she whispered, before they both let sleep pull them under.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Making Plans

Carol woke with a smile on her face, cracking one eye open to see Daryl lying on his side, arm crooked to prop up his head, and he was staring at her breasts with no idea she'd caught him.

"I know," she murmured sleepily. "They're huge already. I feel like I'm walking around wearing a life jacket all the time." Daryl reached up to gently cup one, running his finger over the nipple, and Carol gently pushed his hand away.

"I hurt you?"

"No," she promised. "I'm just a little sensitive." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Which sucks for both of us, I think." Daryl grinned at that, and he placed his hand on her stomach. "Seven weeks."

"Seven weeks is blueberry, right?"

"Oh, we're closer to eight, now. Baby's gotten bigger already. Probably closer to a raspberry."

"It's weird to think of our baby as a fruit," Daryl said with a chuckle, thinking back to those pregnancy websites Carol had sent him links to while he was on the road. "But I guess he's the fruit of our loins, so it works."

"Ok, that's a little gross," Carol laughed. Daryl bent down and pressed a kiss to her stomach, and her muscles jumped in response. "We need to talk."

"Shit, is this about that thing I did with my tongue when…."

"No!" she laughed, clamping her hand over his mouth. "Shhh." She smoothed her hand over his head. "Stop talking, Pookie."

"You just pet me, didn't you?"

"Good boy," she teased. He licked her belly button in response, and she couldn't help but giggle. "No, but seriously, we do have to talk."

"Ok." Sobering, he scooted up to lay next to her again. "What's up?"

"We're going to need a bigger place."

"What's wrong with this place?" Daryl asked. "We got a spare room now, y'know?"

"Your old room that you used to bring your dates home to?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"That bother you?"

"Not really, but maybe it's time to start thinking about finding a new place. Someplace away from town a little bit. A place where the baby can play outside when she gets bigger, a place where maybe we can get a dog and you can put in a dark room."

"So, you want a house."

"Well, we could afford it if we tried. My new job pays so much better. You have this photography thing that could really take off." She chewed her lower lip. "Just tell me I'm being crazy with my crazy pregnancy brain."

"You ain't crazy," he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. "It's a good idea, but we're gonna have to plan for it. Gonna have to save for it. I wanna give you everything, you know that?" His gaze went soft, and Carol felt a shiver run up her spine at the way he chewed his lip and ran his hand over her hip and up her side. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she choked out. "You're just looking at me like you're planning the next thirty years of our lives in your head."

"Might be," he said with a shrug. "Never know. Does that freak you out?"

"No. It's just different than talking about maybe _someday_ having kids and running a newspaper, and me being a hotshot Hollywood reporter. Because, we _are_ having a baby, and this is really…real." She took a shaky breath. "It's scary and exciting, but it's right. This is happening, and I'm in this with my best friend." Daryl smiled at her then, cupping her cheek with his calloused hand, gently stroking the soft skin as her flesh warmed under his touch.

"I got plans," he offered. "But m'sure you do, too. Maybe we better talk about 'em, and make some plans together."

"Probably a good idea," she said with a chuckle, cozying up against him, resting her head against his chest as they lay together on this lazy Saturday morning.

"So two kids, or three?" Daryl asked.

"Mmm, let's get me through this one and see what happens," she laughed. "Ideally, two. It'd be nice to have one of each."

"Yeah, two sounds good. But if we had more, I'd be ok with it."

"Just not so many we'd get our own reality show, right?" she asked, echoing his words from a previous discussion.

"Right," he laughed. "You wanna get married?"

"Are you proposing?" she asked, kissing his chin.

"When I'm proposin', you'll know it. I just wanna make sure you're on board."

"Oh," Carol said with a blushing grin. "I never really put serious thought into it until things happened with us. I'm not going anywhere."

"Neither am I."

"Then yeah," she said with a smile. "I'd be ok with that."

"Good," he replied with a grin, tilting her face toward his for a tender kiss. "Then one of these days I'm gonna surprise the hell out of you."

"You can try, but I catch on pretty quick."

"I been in love with you for years, and you didn't catch on. I think I can pull one over on ya."

"Shut up, jerk," she teased. "Um, ok. How about Christmas at my parents'? I know you were ok with going back at Christmas, but I'm just touching base to make sure you're still ok with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? 'Course I wanna go."

"Good," Carol smiled. "Then we can tell them about the baby."

"Great, happy Christmas, Mom and Dad. Have a heart attack."

"They'll be thrilled," Carol laughed. "You know my mother. You've _met_ my mother. Besides, I'll be out of my first trimester then, and I'll feel a little better about telling them."

"Speakin' of feelin better, how you feelin' this morning?"

"Why do you ask?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just wanna know if I can make love to my someday-wife without makin' her lunge for the toilet." Carol snickered then, and she sighed heavily as Daryl began to roll her onto her back.

"No danger of puking right now, but you know, these things sneak up on me sometimes. Just warning you." She spread her legs as he kissed his way down her neck and her chest, moving lower. And then her phone rang on the bedside table. Carol had a somewhat hazy recollection of getting up to pee in the middle of the night and searching on her hands and knees for the phone she'd carelessly dropped the second she'd seen him at the door.

"Damn it," Daryl groaned, resting his chin against her hip, fingers playing a little too close to home as Carol squirmed under him. "It's Saturday."

"Hold on," Carol sighed. "It might be important."

"What the hell's more important than multiple orgasms in the morning?"

"Ooh, feeling ambitious, are we?" Carol teased.

"Just bein' honest, sweetheart." He kissed the inside of her thigh, as she brought her phone over from the bedside table. "It's Michonne." Without warning, Daryl grabbed for her phone knowing damned well what taking her calls got them into the last time.

"Sorry, Michonne. She can't talk now. She's about to be a little tied up." He wiggled his eyebrows, and Carol swatted for him, narrowly missing him as he ducked out of the way.

"I don't care what kind of sex games you're into, Dixon," Michonne said tiredly. "Can I talk to Carol?"

"Fine," Daryl grumbled. "Better be good."

"Daryl, you're home? Welcome back. Don't worry, I won't keep her long." He grudgingly handed the phone over to Carol who shot him a peeved look, but that didn't stop him from diving right in and driving her crazy with his tongue. She nearly squeaked out a cry of pleasure before she even opened her mouth to talk to Michonne.

"What's up, Mich?"

"Did you see the news this morning?"

"Nope, haven't even turned the TV on."

"Right," Michonne said dryly. "Well, I want to be the first to tell you the good news. The judge has decided to pursue a criminal trial against Phillip Blake. This time next year, he could be looking down the barrel of a ten year prison sentence."

"That's great news!"

"Yeah. So, what are you up to today? Or is it going to be one big, naked sexfest?"

Carol laughed, and at that moment, a knock came to the front door. Carol motioned for him to go and find out who it was, and he gave her a pouty look that only made her grin harder.

 _"Go on_ ," she hissed, covering the bottom of the phone. " _But, hurry back. I'll be here waiting for you. Naked."_ Daryl pressed one more kiss to the inside of her thigh before untangling himself from her legs and scrambling off the bed. He reached for a pair of black sweat pants on the floor and quickly tugged them up over his hips.

He groaned, running his fingers through his hair and grabbing a couple of mints from the small tin on the dresser. He chewed them up quickly and made his way out into the hall and out to the front door just as their guest knocked again.

"Yeah, hang on. M'comin'." The second he unlocked the door and began to open it, the familiar scent of a lit Morley cigarette flooded his nostrils, followed by a particular cologne that Daryl always joked made his brother smell like he'd taken a bath in a bottle of Aqua Velva. And then there he was, standing there tall and muscular and about fifty pounds lighter than the last time Daryl remembered picking his brother's drunk ass up off the sidewalk outside of a bar in Atlanta. He was clean-shaven and wore a pair a sunglasses and a loose fitting button-down black shirt over a white under shirt. "Merle?"

Merle glanced down at the crumpled up paper in his hand and then up at his baby brother before a wide grin spread over his face.

"Hey, baby brother. Long time, no see!"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Merle

Daryl glanced down the hall, hearing the bedsprings creak as Carol got out of bed. He cleared his throat and quickly stepped out into the hall, closing the door a bit.

"What the hell, Merle?"

"That any way to greet your favorite brother?"

"You're my only brother, asshole. And it ain't like you ever made a damn effort to get out here."

"Well, here I am," Merle said, holding his arms out as a grin spread just as wide on his face.

"So how much is it gonna be or what's her name?"

"You don't give me enough credit," Merle snorted. "I got to thinkin', and I figured it was damn near time I stopped in to see what you've done with yourself since you left that shithole we came from. Nice place, from what I saw before ya shut the door on me. What you hidin' in there?"

"Daryl?" she asked softly from inside. Merle raised an eyebrow and grinned a little wider.

"What've we got here?"

"Promise you won't be an asshole?"

"Best behavior. Scout's honor."

"You weren't a boy scout. You shoved boy scouts into lockers if I recall."

"Yeah," Merle chuckled. "So, what you got hidin' behind this door, little brother? She sounds sweet."

"You leave her the fuck alone, or I'll throw your ass in the street," Daryl warned.

"Easy. Easy," Merle urged. "M'only passin' through for a night or two." Daryl eyed him warily before nodding.

"Alright, but she means a lot to me, so watch your mouth."

"Wouldn't dream of pissin' off whatever piece my brother's been dippin' into."

"That's what I'm talkin' about," Daryl groaned. "Knock it off, will ya?" Just then, the door pulled open, and Carol peeked out wearing one of Daryl's t-shirts and a pair of his boxers. Her hair was messy, but she was bright-eyed, and she smelled minty-fresh. Merle's jaw dropped just enough that Daryl elbowed him in the ribs. "Who's your friend?"

"Uh, he ain't a friend. This is Merle."

"Your brother?" Carol asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I know, you weren't expectin' somebody so damned handsome to be related to his ugly ass," Merle teased, thumping his brother on the back. "Hey there, beautiful." Carol glanced at Daryl who seemed to grimace at his brother's words.

"Hi, I'm Carol," Carol said softly, extending her hand out for him to shake. Instead, he brought it to his lips and gave her a kiss upon the knuckles.

"Carol. Tell me something."

"What's that?"

"What exactly did my baby brother do to win you over? 'Cause I didn't think he had it in him to catch a gal as pretty as you." Carol glanced at Daryl before shooting Merle a half-smile.

"Sorry, I don't share sex secrets with people I've just met, even if they are family," she replied smartly, leaning against the door frame. Daryl looked like he was about to have a stroke. "But let's just say there's a _whole lot_ about your brother that makes me happy."

"Marry her, bro," Merle choked out, clutching at his chest. "She's a keeper." Then he leaned in and pulled Carol in for a hug, and Carol shot Daryl an unreadable over his shoulder.

"Would you like to come in, Merle?"

"Can't stay long. M'just in town on business."

"What business?" Daryl asked.

"You remember old Mr. Williams' garage down on Kelker?"

"Yeah," Daryl said with a nod. "Place was practically fallin' apart when I left."

"Well, Mr. Williams passed away, and he left the place to his son. Tyreese hired me on to manage things and help get the place back up on its feet. Turns out there's a fella here in L.A. that goes way back with Tyreese and is interested in helpin' him turn that little shithole garage into a chain. Tyreese sent me out here to try to make the deal."

"Shit, he hated you in school."

"Well, I've changed a lot, bro. Don't stuff wimps into lockers no more. 'Sides, Tyreese ain't the scrawny little boy scout he used to be. Hell, he's bigger'n me and could beat the livin' shit out of me if he wanted to. His little sister on the other hand, _mmm._ " He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together, and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Figured there was a woman involved. You look good, Merle," Daryl said with a nod, clapping his brother on his shoulder as they all headed inside and stepped into the living room.

"Been sober for goin' on six months. It's kickin' my ass, but I figure if I wanna stay outta jail and keep this damned job, I better make some kinda change. Looks like you're doin' alright for yourself, baby brother." Carol ran her hand over Daryl's shoulder and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. For a moment there, Merle felt like he was intruding on a very intimate moment, but then Carol pulled back and brushed her fingers through Daryl's hair.

"I'm going to take a shower. You hungry?"

"I could eat," Daryl offered. "I'll fix somethin' up."

"Alright," Carol smiled. She gave Merle a nod.

"It's really nice to meet you, but I feel like I'll be better company when I'm wearing my own clothes and not standing here looking like...well, like I'm lookin' now."

"C'mon, sit down. Put your feet up. Any woman who can put up with my brother's bullshit all day has to be exhausted."

"Go to hell, Merle," Carol said with a roll of her eyes, getting a laugh out of the older brother. "I'll be out in twenty." She disappeared into the back of the apartment, and Merle laughed before Daryl gestured for him to sit down.

"You want some coffee? I can put on a pot before I start breakfast."

"You the housewife and she brings home the bacon?" Merle asked, getting up from the edge of the couch and following Daryl into the kitchen.

"We both work," Daryl snorted. "She can cook. Cooks real good. She goes crazy for my French toast though."

"You still at that garage?"

"Yeah. Been doin' some photography on the side." At Merle's look, Daryl smirked and grabbed the coffee pot to collect the water. "Yeah, that girly shit that wouldn't ever get me laid, accordin' to Dad."

"Yeah, well, you're still here, and he ain't, so he weren't so smart," Merle offered, grabbing a cookie out of the cookie jar and taking a bite. "This shit's stale. They homemade?"

"Carol works at the newspaper. You think she's got time to go around bakin' homemade cookies every day? Shit, they're $2.00 at the corner market." He slid a coffee mug Merle's way. "No sugar, no cream."

"The blacker the better. Puts hair on your balls," Merle offered. "So where'd you meet her?"

"Freshman year," Daryl replied, grabbing his French toast ingredients and a dipping bowl. "We been roommates longer than we been together, you know?"

"Couldn't make that first move? Hell, baby brother, I figured you'd go wild when ya got out here, got a load of them pretty California girls."

"She's from Nebraska," Daryl replied. "And it ain't like I ain't had girls. I mean, women. Fuck, you know what I mean. But Carol's different. She's special."

"You met the family yet?"

"Yep. Her daddy's the Sheriff and her mama makes a mean pot roast. You'd appreciate that." Merle chuckled at his brother's words. "We're thinkin' of goin' out there again for Christmas next month."

"So you two gettin' hitched?"

"We're still…new."

"You kiddin'?" Merle choked out. "Two of you look like you been old marrieds for a good long while now."

"She's my best friend," Daryl replied. "First date was like the fiftieth, know what I mean?"

"M'happy for ya, bro."

"Yeah, right," Daryl snorted.

"No, I am. M'glad ya got the hell outta that place. Glad you proved our old man wrong. Just wish the prick was around so you could rub it in his face."

"Well, he ain't, and I'm glad he ain't."

"So, you started out on the fiftieth date," Merle said slowly. "So when are you gonna pop the question?"

"Mind your own business, Merle," Daryl replied with a half-smile and a shake of his head as he cracked two eggs into the dipping bowl.

...

"Breakfast's ready," Daryl offered, wrapping his arms around Carol from behind as she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. He kissed the side of her neck, and she smiled when his hands came around to lay protectively over her belly. "Better get in there fast 'fore Merle eats it all up."

"Did you tell him?"

"Huh?"

"About the baby?"

"I didn't know if ya wanted me to. I mean, ya haven't even told your own folks yet."

"Daryl, he's your family. You can tell him," she offered, reaching her hand back to stroke his hair. "If you don't want to, that's ok, too."

"Just don't know what to do," he admitted, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Didn't expect to see him here, y'know?"

"I know," Carol murmured softly. She nudged back against his chest a little. "My hair's getting you all wet."

"Don't care," Daryl chuckled.

"You better get in there and protect our breakfast." She turned to give him a kiss on the tip of his nose. "You can tell him. I don't mind. Now go on. I'll be out in a few minutes." Daryl gave her one quick kiss before he retreated from the bathroom to find Merle waiting with an empty plate. He raised an eyebrow, surprised at his brother's newfound manners.

"C'mon, bro. I'm starvin' over here," Merle whined.

"Hey, I gotta show you somethin'." Daryl moved over to the fridge and reached up to grab something out from under a magnet.

"What's that?" Merle held his hand out as Daryl passed him the glossy piece of paper. "What am I lookin' at, some kind of new age art or somethin'?"

"No," Daryl snorted. "It's a sonogram picture. Carol's pregnant."

"No shit?"

"No shit," Daryl replied. "Baby's due in June. You're gonna be an uncle." Merle rubbed his chin and studied the picture, and before he had the chance to say anything else, Carol came out running her hands through her damp curls.

"Breakfast smells great," Carol offered before giving Daryl a squeeze on the hand and a kiss on the cheek. "You hungry, Merle?" Merle stood quickly and pulled a bar stood out for Carol, and Carol glanced at Daryl with surprise. "Um, thank you." Daryl started to hand Merle a plate, and Merle shook his head.

"Ladies first," he said with a nod. "She's eatin' for two, after all." Daryl and Carol shared another glance, before Daryl put the plate down in front of Carol. "Sure that's enough?"

"I'm sure it's fine," Carol said with an amused smile. "Um, thanks, Merle."

"Anything for the mother of my niece."

"Who said it's a girl?"

"Trust me," Merle said with a proud grin. With that, he accepted a plate from Daryl and settled down with that same grin on his face before digging into the best helping of French toast he ever did taste.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Bonding

Carol couldn't help but groan as she put her hands on her hips and looked at herself in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asked, slipping his shoes on as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I can't button the button."

"What?"

"I officially cannot wear these jeans. They fit two days ago." Daryl couldn't help but grin as he got up and moved to stand behind her.

"That's good. Mason-Dixon's growing," he offered, placing his hands on her stomach, giving the small bump a rub.

"I need new clothes." She sighed and let out a fast breath that pushed her curls out of her face. Daryl smirked and kissed the back of her neck.

"Don't gotta get new clothes. You can walk around naked. Be a lot more fun for me, anyway."

"I'm sure your brother would love that," Carol remarked with an eye roll.

"Yeah, he really would," Daryl laughed. "Tell ya what, I'll take ya shoppin' tomorrow."

"God, that's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me." She turned, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinning as he pulled his hands around her waist. "Say more."

"I'll even hold your purse while you try clothes on."

"Oh my God, yes," she moaned, as Daryl's hands moved to her ass and gave it a squeeze.

"And I won't complain once about how it takes ya two hours to figure out what shirt goes better with those pants."

"Take me now," she teased, hopping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He caught her, holding her tight as she gave him playful pecks. Finally, he caught her lip between his teeth and gently pulled her in for a deeper kiss. She giggled against the kiss when he turned and pushed her up against the wall.

"We should stop," he murmured before moving to kiss her neck.

"Yeah," she whispered, "we should."

"Think you can do it in three minutes?"

"Are you kidding?" Carol laughed. "It'll take me three minutes just to get back out of these pants." Daryl snorted then, and Carol laughed as he peppered kisses to her neck and throat. "Alright, stud, let me down."

"Stud, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she smirked before he finally let her unwrap herself from around his waist. And then came the knock at the door.

"Uh, you two decent, or you want me to take a siesta so you can finish up?"

"Be right out, Merle," Daryl grumbled.

"Hey, take your time. I ain't judgin' you. Pretty sure I can wait another three minutes, am I right, baby brother?"

"Go to hell, Merle," Carol bit out, getting a barked laugh out of Daryl.

"Ooh, she's sassy. I like her." At the sound of his footsteps retreating down the hall, Carol stood on her tiptoes to kiss Daryl's nose. "C'mon, stud. Help me get out of these pants."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a smirk.

...

After helping Merle find the parts dealer, Carol and Daryl took him on the basic tour around L.A. By the time they got back to the apartment, Carol was feeling nauseated and went to lay down for a bit. Daryl turned on the TV and turned the volume down low, and he and Merle crashed on the couch with a couple of cans of soda. It felt weird to be sitting around with Merle all clean and sober. This was different, but Daryl kind of liked his brother this way. He was still the smart mouthed asshole he had always been, but at least he was healthy.

"Why ain't you married that pretty gal yet?"

"What?" Daryl asked, running his hand over his scratchy face. It was high time for a shave.

"She looks at you like the sun shines out your ass. You wanna marry a girl like that. 'Course, you look at her the same way. I swear, bein' around you two has me wantin' to settle down and have a kid or two."

"Shit, I can't picture you bein' anybody's dad," Daryl choked out.

"Yeah, I'd probably strangle the little bastard first time he got smart with me."

"Probably," Daryl laughed.

"But I'd settle for bein' somebody's uncle."

"Well, you're in luck. Seven more months, give or take. Feels like I just met her, you know?"

"You gettin' cold feet 'bout all this?"

"No. 'Course not. Been in love with her for a long time. Just can't believe it's all happenin' like this. Never thought I'd finally get the girl of my dreams. Sure as hell never woulda thought a few months ago that we'd be expectin' a baby together, when we were just friends, you know?"

"Well, I ain't the one to come to for advice, but all I know is what I see. She makes you happy."

"I am happy," Daryl agreed. "Best thing I ever did was move here and meet her." Merle grinned then, and he chugged back a swig of cola.

"Who knows, baby brother. Maybe I'll take a page outta your book."

"You serious?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow. "What about Tyreese's sister?"

"Sasha?" Merle laughed. "She won't give me the time of day. Don't really blame her. She could do a lot better." At Daryl's look, Merle held his hands up. "Hey, I'm a work in progress. Maybe it's time to make a change." Merle shrugged and settled back down in his seat. "Who knows?"

...

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You're quiet," Carol said softly, standing at the side of the bed, where Daryl had a pen perched at the corner of his mouth. He was currently chewing on the end and holding the newspaper word search in his free hand.

"I am?"

"You haven't said much since we dropped Merle off at the hotel," she said quietly. "You ok?"

"M'fine," he said with a shrug. "Just weird havin' him here. It's nice though. Can't believe he's leavin' tomorrow night."

"Well, maybe we can go visit him sometime soon, huh?"

"Maybe," Daryl murmured, putting the pen and paper down and reaching for her waist. She smiled when he pulled her into his lap, and she straddled his hips, placing her hands upon his shoulders as he kissed at her neck.

"You feeling better, Pookie?"

"Maybe a little," he replied with a grin. "Might need a little more help though."

"Oh," she said sweetly, dipping down to kiss him, tracing her tongue along his bottom lip. "Like that?"

"Mmm, yeah," he murmured, moving his hands down her back and over her ass. She slid one hand down his chest and over his groin, giving him a bit of a squeeze before his hips bucked up off the bed.

"How about that?"

"Feelin' better," he chuckled against her neck before he flipped her onto her back and lost himself in her embrace.

...

He lay wide awake, and he could feel her warm breath against his chest. The gentle, steady rise and fall of her chest against his was almost enough to lull him to sleep. But he couldn't sleep. His mind was racing, and there was no possible way he was going to be able to get himself to sleep.

He shifted for about the twelfth time, and he knew that if he wasn't careful, he'd wake her, and these days, she was lucky to be comfortable enough to fall asleep so quickly. Of course, their pre-sleep activities had been enough to wear her out, but he knew that if he woke her, it would be a good long time before she got back to sleep. So, in order to at least let one of them sleep, he gently eased her off of him and back against the mattress before slipping out of bed and pulling on a pair of boxers from his underwear drawer.

He turned, watching the way the moonlight bathed her in a pale glow, and he watched her hand instinctively moved to her belly as she slept. He ached for her. This intense ache started deep in his chest and spread through his veins, and all he wanted was to touch her, to feel her warmth and feel her heartbeat next to him. He'd never in his life felt such a pull toward someone. He knew without a doubt that this woman was everything he needed, and he felt lucky as hell that she loved him like he loved her.

She sighed softly in her sleep and rolled onto her back, getting caught in the sheets in her sleep, and he couldn't help but grin, because he knew she'd wake in the morning and wonder how the hell she got so tangled up. She could sleep soundly and be restless at the same time. He'd never figure it out.

He peered at the clock. It was only ten, but it felt much later. He was groggy and weary from showing Merle around L.A. But his heart was full. Having his brother around brought so much—good and bad—flooding back, and he was thankful for all of it, because he knew that it had all led him to this place, to this woman, to this life.

He grabbed for his cell phone off the table by the door, and he headed out into the living room so the glow from the phone wouldn't wake her.

But as he settled on the couch to mindlessly browse the web, Merle's words came back, louder and clearer.

 _"Why ain't you married that pretty gal, yet?"_

He chewed his lip for a moment, absently scrolling through his contact list. And that's when he saw the name on his phone.

Charlotte Mason. He hesitated for one brief moment before he sent the call through. After only three rings, her voice came through.

"Daryl?"

"Mrs. Mason. M'sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No, not at all. Bob and I were just shutting the house up for the night. Is everything ok? Is Carol alright?"

"Everything's fine, ma'am. Um, I just needed to ask you something."

"Not at all. What's on your mind, Daryl?" Daryl took a deep breath then, closed his eyes and prayed for the nerve to ask his next question. This was it. No going back. And he didn't want to go back. He was certain.

"Ma'am, I wanna talk to you, and to Bob if it's possible. I wanna ask for your permission to marry your daughter."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Deck the Halls

"Whaddya think?" Daryl asked, holding up a felt Santa hat as he leaned against the doorway of their bedroom. Carol turned from the suitcase she was packing, and she cocked her head to the side.

"Your ears'll stick out. Aww, you'll look like a cute elf!"

"Elves wear green," he said flatly. "'Sides, I thought about wearin' this Christmas night."

"Yeah?" Carol asked. "Why Christmas night?"

"Well, I figured this would be all I'm wearin'. Would go great with that pair of red panties you packed. We could match."

"Daryl Dixon! You snooped through my bag?"

"It was a Victoria's Secret bag just sittin' there on the coffee table. 'Course I snooped."

"I think I should return it."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm going to look awful. My boobs are huge, I'm fat. My ass is spreading."

"You're insane," he snorted.

"No, look!" She turned, and Daryl raised an eyebrow, admiring the sight of her ass in those pants.

"Looks just fine from here."

"Oh, shut up." She sighed in exasperation, and Daryl came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. There was no denying her belly, and he knew she was a little on edge, considering her mother might be both ecstatic and furious at the same time to realize she'd be one of the last to know about the upcoming arrival.

"How's the plum?" he asked, kissing the spot between her neck and shoulder that always got her knees shaking.

"Being nice to its mama today. I haven't thrown up in an hour, so I call that progress."

"Great," he offered, giving her belly a rub. "Just talked to your mom on the phone. Your folks are gonna meet us at the airport and take us out to lunch. You wanna tell her about the baby at lunch or after we get back to the house?"

"Well, I think the second I take off my coat, and she sees this, there'll be nothing to tell." She gestured to her belly and frowned. "Maybe I'll wear a sweater. Maybe I'll wait 'til the baby's born, and we can send a cute little announcement."

"This is your mom. The woman who was so obsessed with you finding a man that she was willing to set you up until I stepped in. Why are you so afraid to tell her you're havin' a baby?"

"I'm not!" she exclaimed. "I'm just…I've been enjoying this, and telling her will send this into hyper drive or something."

"Ya mean it'll make it official?"

"Well, no. I'm loving this, even with the throwing up and the gas—sorry about that, by the way—and tossing and turning at night—again, sorry—and I guess I'm still enjoying the quiet. As soon as she finds out, it's going to be all about planning the nursery, finding the perfect baby books, getting the baby into the best preschool."

"Kid doesn't even have a definable gender yet, but ok," Daryl replied with a shrug. Carol rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"I know. She's gonna be Super Nana."

"Oh God, she's going to be a grandmother. She might freak out a little."

"Like you're freaking out, now?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"C'mere." He pulled her in close, kissing her softly, stroking his hand through her hair as she relaxed against him. "Breathe." He kissed her again, and she nodded into the kiss before he finally pulled back. "Better?"

"Mmm."

"Wanna do it before we leave for the airport?"

"You asshole," she laughed. Then she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Oh second thought, take off your pants."

...

Carol managed to hide her belly under an oversized sweater which seemed to go unnoticed by both of her parents. By the time lunch was over and they all retreated back to the Mason house, Carol was exhausted and ready for a long, hot bath.

Brody greeted the gang the second the car pulled into the drive, and Daryl carried in their luggage, following Carol up the stairs before heading out to the yard to play fetch with Brody in the snow. It wasn't long before Bob came walking out with a cigar in one hand and a rifle in the other. Daryl eyed the man briefly before tossing the stick to an eager and expectant Brody.

"Did you get the ring?" Bob asked, taking a puff and exhaling, sending a cloud of smoke into the cold, Nebraska air.

"Yes, sir," he murmured, patting his coat pocket.

"So that's why you haven't taken your coat off since you got off the plane," Bob laughed. "I was wondering. Does she suspect anything?"

"No, sir," Daryl replied quietly. "Not a thing."

"Good. I'll tell you, son, I haven't seen Charlie so happy since she told me the two of you were an item. I know I haven't spent as much time with you as my wife, but I can see you love my daughter very much."

"I do," Daryl said with a nod, grabbing the stick from Brody and tossing it again. Brody went running after it, sending pure, white snow flying up into the air in his wake. "Everything's all set?"

"Are you kidding? Charlie's had everything planned since you called that night. She didn't sleep a wink. I'm not sure who's more excited about this, you or my wife, to be honest." Daryl laughed then, and he shoved his hands into his pockets as Brody lay in the snow to chew on the stick, his prize for having more energy than his human opponent. "Now all we need is for my daughter to say yes. And trust me, son, she will."

"Thank you, sir," Daryl said with a nod.

"Now is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Sir?"

"I saw the way you put your hand on her stomach. I have eyes, you know, and I saw the two of you through the rear view mirror."

"Oh," Daryl choked out. "You saw that? Well, I just…"

"When's she due?"

"Um, June, sir."

"June, eh? Good. That's a good month."

"You…you gonna tell her mom?"

"I think I'll let Carol have that honor. I just wanted to hear it from my future son-in-law."

"If she says yes," Daryl said with a nervous chuckle.

"Son, if she doesn't say yes, I'll eat my badge and my gun. Throw in my damned hat, too. And I'm not a betting man, son. I know my girl. And you do, too."

"Yes, sir." Daryl swallowed hard and cleared his throat, and Bob gave him a thump on the back. With that, Bob headed back into the house, and Daryl looked skyward, took a shaky, deep breath, and knelt down to pat Brody's head.

"She'll say yes, right?" Brody licked Daryl's hand in response. "Yeah. Good boy."

...

Carol raised her head up at the knock at the door, and she yawned sleepily.

"Come in."

"Hi, honey," Charlotte said with a smile, as Carol pulled the blanket up over her belly.

"Mom? What's going on?"

"Honey, I just want to talk to you for a minute," Charlotte said with a wave of her hand, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Look, I'm terrible at keeping secrets, and I'm about to bust, and I know it's awful of me, but I also know that sometimes surprises can be a little unsettling, and…well…"

"Mom? What is it?" Carol asked, eyes wide as she reached out to touch her mother's shoulder.

"Daryl's going to propose."

"What?!"

"On Christmas Eve. Oh, I've been helping him plan it, honey, and he loves you so much, and I just want to make sure you're not going to break that boy's heart."

"Are you…are you serious?" Carol asked, feeling her heart do a somersault in her chest. "You think…you think I'd break his heart?"

"Well, no, but he loves you so, and I just want to make sure that this is something you want. It would be awful for him to have this all planned and for you to turn him down. There's still time. I could convince him not to…"

"Mom! Don't you dare!" Carol exclaimed, cheeks turning red as her hands flew to her face. "How sure are you that he's proposing?"

"About a hundred and fifty percent. He's nervous. He's really nervous, honey, but he's sure about this. He loves you."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, moving her hand to her chest as if she could still her racing heart. "Well, I love him too, Mom. I can't believe…I can't believe he's proposing. And…I can't believe you _told_ me."

"Well, sweetie, I just…"

"Of _course_ I'm going to say yes," Carol replied with a laugh. "But you better be very, very sure, because if he doesn't, I don't…"

"Sweetie, he e-mailed me a picture of the ring he picked out. It's gorgeous, by the way."

"I…don't…oh my God."

"Well, thank goodness you're both on the same page. Phew! That would have been awkward."

"Are you drunk?" Carol asked, narrowing her eyes at her mother.

"Don't be silly. I had a glass of champagne. I was celebrating early."

"Alone?"

"Well, don't judge me, dear. It's not every day you're charged with the secret of your daughter's surprise marriage proposal."

"Which is no longer a secret."

"Well, honey, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Mom. I still love you," Carol laughed.

"Well, good! Now, let's talk wedding plans…oh, what am I saying? Let me let you rest. You've had a long day."

"Uh…long is definitely not the word for it," Carol replied, eyes wide with exasperation.

"Well, I'll leave you to rest. Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm…me…too," Carol stuttered, head still spinning from the revelation. Charlotte gave her daughter a wistful, tear-filled smile before she left the room and shut the door behind her. She was only halfway down when she ran into Daryl on the landing. "Oh! You surprised me."

"You tell her?"

"Yes," Charlotte whispered.

"Did she buy it?"

"Yep. She bought it," Charlie grinned.

"Good," Daryl replied with a grin. "Thanks for your help, Mrs. Mason."

"Hey, anytime. What else is family for, huh?"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Secrets

"How are things at the little house on the prairie?"

"Hi, Michonne," Carol laughed. "Things are fine. Cold, but fine."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know—and I witnessed this personally—Phillip Blake was officially arrested on $1,00,000 bond, and pending bail, he will be sitting in a cozy little cell at the county jail."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured.

"Yeah, and the icing on the cake is that when they came to pick him up, he punched one of the officers. Yeah, the judge is going to have fun with this guy."

"Good. That guy made my skin crawl," Carol groaned. "How are you?"

"Fine. Amazing. I had a hot date last night with a bottle of wine and a Patrick Swayze movie."

"I'm going to get you out of your apartment one of these days," Carol laughed. "You could come see Nebraska with us sometime."

"Um, I don't do the third wheel thing," Michonne replied with a snort.

"Hey, there are plenty of eligible bachelors from my hometown, just so you know."

"I do like the rugged, farmer type. Please tell me they wear overalls and chew on pieces of straw," she uttered with a laugh.

"You're impossible," Carol sighed.

"So, did you tell the folks yet?"

"I'm waiting until Christmas day. I've got it all planned. Apparently, there's a lot of planning going on behind my back."

"What?" Michonne asked. "I'm intrigued!"

"My mother, you know, the woman that can't seem to keep anything a secret, informed me that Daryl's planning to propose on Christmas Eve."

"That's in like three days."

"Yeah, tell me about it!"

"You're freaking out, aren't you?"

"Actually, no. I'm…a little disappointed that the surprise in ruined, but I can't wait. I can act surprised, you know."

"Oh, I know you can fake it," Michonne teased.

"Oh my God, you sound like Daryl!"

"I'm just saying, you were awfully good at faking non-feelings for Daryl for so long. Well, except to me. I see through you like a clean glass window. But he clearly bought it."

"God," Carol groaned. "I'm glad that's all over with."

"Yeah, me too. You two were driving me crazy!" Michonne sighed. "So, it's gonna be a yes, right?"

"Are you kidding? I'd marry him tomorrow if I could." She sighed happily. "I feel like all those girls I used to roll my eyes at when I was a teenager. I guess that's what happens when you fall in love with your best friend."

"You can't see it, but I think I just rolled my eyes so hard they'll never come back down."

"Oh, you'll find someone."

"Yeah, that's what all those girls we used to roll our eyes at used to say," Michonne pointed out. "So, on a scale from one to ten?"

"Twenty," Carol admitted. "Though at this point, I don't know if I'm more excited about him proposing or about telling my parents about the baby."

"I'm so jealous. Ugh."

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"You better. Have a good time, and I can't wait to see the ring!"

...

"Where have you been?" Carol asked, eyeing Daryl as he walked into the bedroom. He groaned and flopped down beside her on the bed.

"Your dad took me to chop firewood. My arms feel like spaghetti right now."

"Sexy spaghetti," Carol said with a grin, sliding her hand over his bicep.

"That'd be really hot and a little weird if I didn't feel like sleeping for three days," he murmured into the pillow.

"Aw, my lumberjack's tired," she cooed into his ear. He perked up then.

"Lumberjack? That turn you on?"

"No, but you do," she replied, batting her eyelashes at him. He stared at her for a moment before he groaned.

"You're fucking with me."

"Yeah, a little. I'm tired, too, Pookie." She leaned over and kissed him on the nose. He rolled onto his back, and Carol tossed her book aside, crawling over him and straddling his hips with her knees.

"You're gonna have to do all the work. Can't move."

"I missed you," she said softly, leaning down to kiss his chin and then his neck. His hands moved up to her waist, and he sighed softly, yawning as he closed his eyes and let that sexy, sleepy smile spread over his face.

"Missed you," he said softly.

"Do you want to do something with me tomorrow?"

"I wanna do a lot of things with you."

"Well, besides that," she laughed, moving to curl up at his side.

"Whaddya wanna do? Don't involve chopping things with an ax or manual labor of any kind does it?"

"No, I don't think so," she laughed. "Though you might require snow boots."

"We're gonna freeze our asses off, ain't we?"

"Yup," she chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll keep you warm." He smiled and wrapped his arm around her, and she reached over to turn off the light. Sleep came quickly for them both.

...

"My dad used to take me here when I was little," Carol said with a smile as she leaned over the old wooden railing of the dock that stretched about ten feet out over the frozen lake.

"Hey, careful," Daryl urged, pulling his arms around her middle and holding her tight. "Don't need you fallin' in. This wood's probably rotting." There were several kids out ice skating, and he could tell by the slump in her shoulders and the way she got really quiet that she missed this, that she missed so much about this place. "Didn't know you could ice skate."

"Oh, I can't," she laughed. "But I insisted on it when I was little, so my dad bought me these beautiful, shiny skates with pink laces and black leather, and as soon as I was on the ice, I fell and busted my chin. See? I still have a tiny scar." She lifted her face at an angle, and Daryl pressed a kiss to the small, almost faded scar. "But I still came out every year until I was about thirteen. I tried, and I fell every time. And I looked like a dork, but I had fun. I remember Rick came with me one year, and he ended up pulling me around the ice until he was tired. Then he tossed me off into the snow and went out on his own."

"Little asshole," Daryl snorted. Carol laughed at that, and she turned in Daryl's arms.

"I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just being home, being here. I'd love to raise our baby someplace like this. Or at least bring her here from time to time." She swallowed hard and looked up into his eyes. "I'm a little nervous."

"About what?"

"Telling mom and dad about the baby," she admitted. "Do you think we should tell them on Christmas Eve?"

"Christmas Eve? No! Uh, I mean, we can, but we might be doin' other things."

"What other things?"

"Well, I kinda wanted to make it a surprise," he offered.

"Oh?" She bit her lip, hoping she wasn't giving anything away. If he knew she knew, it would spoil his surprise, and she could tell he had been working hard on this.

"Well, hell, if you're gonna keep lookin' at me like that," he sighed, "I was gonna take you on a carriage ride. Your mom told me that Woods Edge Park does them every year. Cold as hell, but I figured it might get me laid."

"You are so romantic," she deadpanned before kissing him softly. "I've never been."

"Never? And you grew up here?"

"Never. Not once," she promised. "I'd love to go with you, though."

"It's a date then," he offered as the smile spread over his face. He pulled her hand into his, and they started their walk around the lake, and it was all Carol could do to hide the beaming smile. She couldn't wait for Christmas Eve. She couldn't wait for the carriage ride. Most of all, she couldn't wait for the moment he asked her to be his wife.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"What is going _on_ out there?" Carol grumbled, waking up abruptly from her nap to the sound of a loud bang coming from outside. She scrambled to the window and looked out toward the barn only to find absolutely nothing going on. In the darkness, she could barely make out the fact that Brody was running back and forth by the barn door chasing after a rabbit. He didn't seem set on hurting it.. He seemed to just be excited to have another furry creature to play with.

His tail whapped against the barn, and Carol rolled her eyes.

"It was just you making all that noise, wasn't it?" With a shake of her head, she glanced at the clock and couldn't believe how late it was getting. Chewing her lip, she reminded herself that tonight was the night, and Daryl would be coming up any time to take her out on their carriage ride.

She stood in front of the mirror, trying to decide what she should wear. With a little smile, she moved to her suitcase and grabbed a pretty red dress that she had intended to wear to Christmas dinner. Instead, she decided that maybe tonight she could wear that, cold be damned. It wasn't every day a girl got proposed to, and she wanted to look nice.

She quickly slipped out of her jeans and sweat pants and wriggled into the dress, smiling as she ran her hand over her belly.

"You sure that's gonna be warm enough?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brows as he glanced at Carol, who was currently admiring the way the way the skirt of her dress swayed back and forth with every movement. All the while, she kept her hand protectively over her tummy.

"Oh, I'll wear a coat. I just want to look nice."

"I'll let ya in on a secret. You could wear a burlap sack and still be gorgeous. Dress warm." Carol frowned. "What?"

"Nothing. I just want to look nice tonight."

"We're gonna be ridin' around behind a horse's ass in the cold weather. Might wanna wear some thermal underwear or somethin'."

"So romantic," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "Are you sure you want to go riding around on Christmas Eve with your fat, pregnant girlfriend wearing oversized jeans and a baggy sweater?"

"What's the matter with you?" he asked with a smirk, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her curls. "You're gorgeous no matter what."

"I know. I just wanted to look nice tonight." _Are you really going to propose to me while I'm dressed like I'm hunting the abominable snowman?_

"You always look nice."

"Thanks, Pookie." _Really? This is going to be one of the biggest moments of our lives, and you don't care what I wear? Wait a minute, that's a good thing, right?_

"Dress warm. We leave in ten minutes." Carol looked him up and down. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Nothing fancy.

"You're wearing that?"

"Well, I got on my Santa boxers, too. Oh, and I'll be wearin' a coat." _What?_

"Ok," she said slowly, eyeing him strangely as he grinned at her and kissed her neck from behind.

"See you out there. Love you."

"Love you," she called back, as he disappeared out the door and into the hall. With that, she quickly made a beeline for her parents' room and knocked quietly.

"It's open," Charlotte called, as the door opened slightly under Carol's knock. "Oh, hi, sweetie."

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, sweetheart. What's on your mind?"

"You said Daryl's proposing on Christmas Eve, right?"

"Did I?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Mom!" Carol exclaimed, exasperated.

"Oh, honey, the night's still young. It's only, what, nine thirty?"

"Ok, but I think I've been psyching myself up for this all day, and I'm starting to wonder if this isn't some prank. Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"Honey, trust me. That man loves you. Now get out of here and don't forget your coat."

"It's thirty degrees outside. I don't think we have to worry about that."

"You're not wearing _that_ are you?"

"It's nice. I can wear leggings under it," Carol offered.

"Well, suit yourself," Charlotte said with a shrug. Carol groaned and felt like a fifteen year old having a difficult discussion with her mother all of a sudden.

"Alright, I'm going to change," she muttered. As she left, she lowered her voice even more. "So much for wearing this dress before I'm too fat to fit in it."

"What was that, dear?" Charlotte asked.

"Nothing, Mom. See you in the morning."

"Uh-huh. Have a wonderful night!"

"Yeah, thanks." _If I'm not engaged by the end of the night, somebody's going to be feeling the wrath of my hormones._

...

"This is amazing," Carol laughed with a bright smile as fat flakes of snow floated down from the dark skies and swirled around them as they sat under their checkered blanket as the driver urged the horse through the snow-covered path.

"I think I wanna live here," Daryl chuckled, opening his mouth and catching a snowflake on his tongue. "Our kid definitely has to have this kinda snow. Ain't gonna have anything like that in Los Angeles."

"I told you," Carol murmured, curling her arm with his and snuggling up to him under the blanket.

"You too cold?"

"I'm fine. I love this," she murmured, cheeks rosy from the cold. Daryl pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, and she sighed softly before he kissed her gently on the lips. It was then that Daryl leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder. The driver nodded, and he urged the horse to veer right and turn toward downtown. "What was that?"

"Nothin'," he said with a shrug and a little grin. Carol felt her heart do a somersault in her chest, and she shivered under the blanket. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." She felt a little light headed and breathless and like her heart might tap dance right out of her chest. But she was fine. "Where are we going?"

"Just a little detour. You ok with that?"

"Ok," she chuckled.

"Oh, you gotta wear this." He reached into his coat pocket and grabbed something, and her eyes darted down, half expecting to see a box in his hand. Instead, she saw a black blindfold.

"I have to wear this?"

"Yep. Forgot to mention that part, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," she laughed. "Alright, I'll play along. This won't end with me naked and tied to a bed, will it?"

"If you play your cards right," he replied, wiggling his brows at her. Carol's face reddened just a little, and she quickly slipped the blindfold over her eyes. She settled back down against the seat, and she shivered when Daryl gently cupped her face in his hands and turned her face toward his. He kissed her slowly, passionately, and she felt the heat rise in her blood. She bit back a whimper when he moved one hand under the blanket and slid it up her leg, squeezing her thigh through her jeans.

"Daryl," she whispered. "We aren't alone."

"S'alright," he chuckled. "We'll be there soon. Just wanna touch you." She couldn't resist him, and she muffled a moan against his lips as he continued to tease her, fingers climbing higher until she squeezed her thighs together and trapped his hand there between her legs. "You play dirty."

"Damn right," she chuckled, giving his lower lip a nibble.

"Can't tell you how much I love you," he murmured, nuzzling her cheek then. "You mean more to me than anybody in my life. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't met you that day or if you hadn't given me the time of day. I'm thankful for every second we spent together, even if we were just dancing around our feelings for the longest time."

"I love you so much," Carol said softly, wishing she could see his face just then, but she knew the payoff would be worth it. She could feel it in the way he gently stroked his hand over her cheek, the way he whispered warmly against her ear. "I wasn't sure how this could work. Back before we got together, I was afraid of losing you if something went wrong. What I wish I knew is that changing things only made things better. I'm so in love with you." His hand moved from its trap between her legs to rest at her side. He tugged her closer, and she smiled against his mouth when he kissed her.

When they broke apart, Carol rested her head on his shoulder, and he placed his hand against her belly, rubbing her there gently as they rode along in silence.

"Where are we going?" Carol finally asked after a long silence.

"We're almost there," he promised. "You warm enough?"

"Mmm," she murmured sleepily before another snowflake landed on her nose. He kissed her on the tip of her nose, and she giggled, and then the carriage lurched forward before coming to a halt.

"We're here," he promised. She could hear nothing but the crunch of snow under the wheels and under the horse's hooves, but she could smell wood burning and the slightest hint of cinnamon in the brisk night air. "No peeking."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied, as the carriage jostled. Daryl stepped out into the snow and reached for her hand. "Careful."

"I got you," he promised, putting his hands around her waist and helping her down into the snow. She shivered then, thankful she had dressed in warm jeans, because she knew if she'd gone with her silly idea of wearing that dress, she wouldn't have been able to thaw her legs out for days.

The snow crunched under their feet as they started walking.

"Where are we? Are we at the lake?"

"Nope."

"Are we at the park?"

"Nope. Not even close." He gave her hand a squeeze, and suddenly, the snow wasn't under their feet anymore. Instead, Carol smelled the scent of hay and felt the crunch of it under her feet. Suddenly, she was warmer than before, and that was when she heard someone close by clear their throat.

"What is…" She heard him shift next to her before moving to stand in front of her. He let go of her hand, and that was when her heart began to pound.

"I love you, Carol Mason," he said quietly. "And I want to marry you. You're my best friend, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you want to marry me?" Carol shivered then, bringing her hands up to her face. As much as she'd been expecting it, actually hearing it had her eyes welling with tears.

"I do," she said with a laugh, as Daryl swallowed back a choked cry. He then took her hand in his and leaned forward to place a kiss to her knuckles.

"You might wanna take the blindfold off now," he murmured. She laughed then, and she could hear someone sniffle close by and someone else let out a happy laugh. She removed the blindfold, squinting into the brightness of hundreds of white Christmas lights strung up all through the barn she'd known since her childhood. It had been cleared out, and instead of farm equipment and feed bins, there were dozens of people, many she'd known since she was young, her parents' friends, family friends. And everyone was dressed up like they were heading to a party. Her father stood with his arms around her mother, and they both looked happier than she'd ever seen them, and her heart welled with happiness.

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, looking down to find Daryl holding out his hand. A silver band with a small but gorgeous diamond lay against his calloused hand.

"Carol Mason? Will you marry me?" he asked, and she brought her hands to her face and nodded, letting out a happy sob.

"Yes," she choked out. "Of course, yes." Daryl grinned then, standing, and he slid the ring over her finger before she closed her fingers around his. "Perfect fit." Daryl brought her in, holding her close as she kissed him, and when she pulled back, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned, surprised to see Michonne standing there. And then there was Merle.

"What…what is this?"

"This is our wedding," he replied, kissing her cheek and nuzzling her temple. "Whaddya say? You wanna marry me tonight?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Last Dance

With the barn door shut and the space heaters turned on, the guests were warm and comfortable, and the ceremony was short and sweet once the bride and groom got changed into their wedding attire. In the rush to prepare for the surprise wedding, Carol had learned from her mother and Michonne that they'd been planning Carol's dress since Daryl had asked her parents for their blessing. And it was perfect.

It was long and white, nothing too bulky or fancy. It was just a simple white dress with intricate lace covering the chest and shoulders. Michonne did the honors of pulling Carols dark curls up and threading some blue silk strands through, giving her a simple but elegant look. And all the time, Carol was in absolute awe that they had managed to plan her entire wedding without her even knowing about it.

They'd said their own vows, and Caro was rather proud of herself given that she'd been given less than an hour's notice, and the wedding had been beautiful and everything Carol had ever dreamed of.

And then the music had started, and the guests were dancing and having champagne, and all Carol wanted to do was hold onto Daryl just a little bit longer after each song was through.

Rick had brought his heavily pregnant wife Lori, and Shane had pretty much followed Michonne around like a lost puppy all night. Everyone seemed to be getting along well, and when the party was all over, everyone began to go home, but Carol just kept holding on to Daryl.

"For a guy who doesn't dance, you're doing a pretty good job," Carol said with a sleepy smile.

"Well, it's the least I can do since I been lyin' to my wife for the past month."

"I forgive you," she promised, kissing him softly. "Considering the last time we danced was the night we finally told each other how we feel about each other, I think we're doing alright."

"We're doin' just fine," he said softly, running his hand down her back.

"Smile, you two!" Charlotte pointed the camera in their direction and flashed a photo, and Carol groaned, covering her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I had my eyes closed in that one."

"Oh well, it's still going to be my profile picture in the morning," Charlotte said happily, slurring her words just enough that Carol knew her mother was on her way to being drunk. "What? It isn't every day that your daughter gets married! Trust me. One day, you'll understand. Speaking of, when will that be?"

"Uh," Carol choked out. "We, uh…" She glanced up at Daryl, and he kept an arm around her waist. "Well…"

"What?" Charlotte asked, eyes wide as Merle and Michonne crowded around.

"Well, we were going to wait until tomorrow to tell you, but I guess today is the day for surprises," Carol said with a grin. "Mom, I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Charlotte asked. "Oh my God! When did you find out? You didn't tell me?! Oh my God!" Bob put his arms around his wife, and she stared up at him in surprise. "Honey, why are you so calm? You did _hear_ our daughter, right?"

"I…already knew, Charlie," he admitted sheepishly.

"What?!" Carol and Charlotte asked in surprised unison. Carol glanced at Daryl.

"I didn't tell him. He…well, he already kinda figured it out the other day. I guess I put my hand on your stomach in the car on the way back from the airport. Just somethin' I do without thinkin', ya know?"

"And I'm thrilled," Bob promised, pulling his daughter in for a warm hug. He kissed her cheek and squeezed her again. "June can't get here fast enough." Carol raised an eyebrow and glanced at Daryl. He ducked his head and grinned.

"Alright, _that_ I did tell him."

...

As a partial wedding gift, Charlotte and Bob had booked their daughter and her new husband the honeymoon suite at a hotel in the nearest town, and by the time they arrived, they were both so exhausted they could barely keep their eyes open.

"This was the most exhausting day of my life," Carol groaned, flopping down onto the bed.

"Yeah? What about me? I been workin' in that barn all day."

"So _that's_ what I was hearing this evening. You're amazing."

"Well, your folks helped."

"I gotta tell you, I didn't see that coming. Not at all. I mean, you had me thrown. Mom told me about the proposal."

"Yeah, 'cause I told her to."

"What?!"

"It was all part of the plan. I wanted to get ya psyched up for it, keep ya on your toes. I wanted you to expected it, but I wanted to completely throw you off with the wedding."

"Well, you succeeded," Carol laughed. "You really did good." Daryl flopped down on the bed next to his wife, and she tiredly threaded her fingers through his.

"So…you wanna screw around?" he asked.

"Ugh," she groaned.

"Thanks," he teased.

"You know what I mean," she laughed. "I wanna sleep, and then tomorrow, we can screw around all day and never leave the bed."

"I like the way you think. Knew there had to be some reason I married you." He turned and kissed her, and she laughed against his kiss, threading her fingers through his hair.

"Jerk," she pouted, gently shoving at his shoulder. "I love you."

"Love you too," he murmured, kissing her on the nose. "Brat."

...

Three years later

"Daddy!" Sophia Dixon squealed, hopping up onto the bed and smacking her father on the arm. "Daddy, wake _up!_ "

"Whoa, geez, Soph," Daryl grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "You're gonna wake up your mama. It's quiet time, remember?"

"Mama's already awake," Carol muttered from under her pillow. "Mama's been awake since she got a juice box poured all over her toes."

"I wanna _playyyy_ ," Sophia whined. Daryl grabbed Sophia and flipped her onto the mattress, tickling her tummy. "Daddy, that tickles! Stop!" She squealed and kicked her legs, and Carol tossed her pillow aside, running her hands through her short-cropped locks. These days, it was much easier to deal with when she had a two year old that was constantly on the move.

"See, you woke your mama up. Sophia, we already talked about that, didn't we?" Daryl asked sternly.

"Oh, it's really ok. I've got to finish up that article and e-mail it to Andrea anyway. I promised her I'd keep up my deadlines since we worked out this long distance work thing."

"You sure?" Daryl asked. "You need me to take Soph out for a little bit so you can have some quiet?"

"No, it's really fine," Carol promised. "Besides, you have your own deadlines." She patted him on the shoulder and stretched before sliding out of bed. "Come on, Soph. I'll make you breakfast."

"Smiley face pancakes!" Sophia demanded.

"How about oatmeal?"

"Chocolate chips?" The girl pouted.

"You got it," Carol replied with a little laugh, picking Sophia up off the bed and carrying her over to the high chair just a few feet away. "You sit here, and mama will make you some chocolate chip oatmeal." There was no denying the child got her sweet tooth from both parents, and it was just a fact they had had to accept a long time ago. "And then you can brush your teeth like a big girl." She poured the little one some milk and started to pull out the oatmeal ingredients when a cry from the crib by the bed pierced the air. Their own personal alarm clock on the days when Sophia wasn't up first.

"Oh, perfect timing," Carol groaned with an exasperated grin. "You wanna start the oatmeal? Somebody else is hungry."

"I'm on it," Daryl yawned, pulling himself out of bed and slipping his sweats on over his boxers. He gave his wife a tender kiss in passing, and Carol leaned over the crib to pick up the baby.

"Morning, Eli," she whispered, cooing over the baby who rooted against his mother's breast. Carol sat down on the bed and unbuttoned her gown just enough to expose her breast. He suckled hungrily, and Carol watched as Daryl made a spectacle out of breakfast, making silly noises as he whipped the oatmeal up in a bowl and added a sprinkling of chocolate chips. Sophia laughed and clapped at her father's silly display.

Carol's heart was full. The last three years had been a whirlwind of life changes. Daryl had been given many jobs taking photos across the country, and with a little bit of cooperation from Andrea in Los Angeles, Carol was still able to work by doing weekly articles on life as a working mom on the road with her husband and small child. And then little Elijah had come along, and things had become more complicated, crazy, and wonderful.

Last night, they'd stopped just near the Grand Canyon, and while Daryl had already taken many pictures of it before, they had decided to take a few days just to enjoy it as a family. Of course, the kids were far too young for the trip to make a lasting impression, but _this_ was living. Traveling the country in an RV, seeing the sights and still having a place to call home back in California for the six months of the year they weren't traveling. They wouldn't change a thing.

They'd moved north of Los Angeles into an old house in the country shortly after Sophia was born, and it was everything they'd dreamed of. While they didn't get the snow at Christmas, they made it a point to travel out to Nebraska every winter so she could experience the beauty of the place her mother had been born and where her parents had made their vows.

By the time Sophia was finished eating breakfast, so was Eli, and Carol made quick work of changing Eli's diaper, while Daryl took Sophia to the potty. Once Sophia was sprawled out on her parents' bed watching a movie, Carol and Daryl had their own breakfast before Carol headed out to start hanging up laundry on the line.

"I miss my Maytag," Carol pointed out, when Daryl joined her outside.

"You wanna call it quits?" Daryl asked.

"What?"

"You promised if you got tired of this, we'd just go back home, settle down, and I could go out once a year and do this."

"I don't want to call it quits," she promised. "I love being out here with you. With them. Not every two year old can say they've been to every state in the continental U.S. Not every two year old can say they've splashed around in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico."

"Good point," Daryl said with a chuckle. "M'glad you like it. It's better havin' you with me. I hated leavin' you behind."

"So did I. If I didn't love you so much, I'd have stayed in L.A. to have Eli." She kissed his cheek.

"No regrets, then?" Daryl asked.

"Not one. Except I miss the privacy. It's a little hard to get romantic when you have a crib and a toddler bed within five feet of your own bed."

"Yeah. Which is why we're stopping in Nebraska next week."

"I feel bad pawning the kids off on my parents just so we can mess around."

"C'mon, they love havin' Soph, and they ain't even seen Eli since he was born. They'll love it. Besides, I got some new stuff I wanna try."

"What could we possibly do that we haven't done before?" Carol asked, wide eyed and with a blush on her cheeks.

"That's what I thought, 'til I read this magazine, and…"

"Ok, stud, let's just talk about it when the time comes."

"Don't worry. I ain't gonna forget." He pushed himself up against her from behind, and she giggled when he kissed her neck. He nuzzled against her, and she bit her lip, bringing her arm up around his neck, running her fingers through his hair.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you happy?"

"Are you kiddin'? I ain't never been this happy before," he murmured. "Every day is better'n the last."

"Liar," she snorted.

"Alright, maybe not every day. Some days suck, but I wouldn't change nothin'. I got you. We got two kids that, well, let's face it, they're pretty awesome. We got this grown up thing down."

"Yeah, I think you're right," she laughed. "I just don't want either of us to wake up one day and think 'maybe if we'd done this differently...'"

"Ain't gonna happen," he promised. "What about you?"

"Same," she promised. "I'm right where I wanna be."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would ya?" he teased, getting a grin out of her. She sighed and turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Only white lies, Pookie." She kissed him softly, slowly. "But never about how much I love you."

"Good," he murmured, stroking her back with his fingertips.

"Now are you gonna kiss me, or what?"

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled before pulling her in for another sweet kiss.

The End

Author's Note: Oh my gosh, I was not prepared for the love this story received, and I am so honored and thankful for everyone who has read and has reviewed. I am just in awe, and right now, I'm a little sad, because this story is over, and I've loved writing it so much. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much!


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